Roommates
by 12AngryMen
Summary: A bit after the Sports Festival, Mina discovers Ochako has to live alone in a crummy apartment to attend U.A., spending almost nothing on herself to ease the cost for her parents. Wanting to help her, Mina offers an alternative: Stay with her and her family. Join the two on their misadventures in the Ashido household, and watch as their friendship blossoms into something more.
1. Prologue: Princess and Pauper

Hello hello. Starting on another multi-chapter thing, this time with my now easily second favorite ship. I've warmed up with a couple oneshots for it, and now I think I can start something longer. Hopefully I can stick to it.

* * *

"Come on you stupid…"

Ochako Uraraka groaned as she fiddled with the lock on her door. She jiggled the key a bit, trying to get it to actually turn, but it barely budged. Throwing her head back, the tired girl let out an aggravated sigh.

She had lost count of the number of times she'd fought this battle. Taking her free hand, she began pushing and pulling on the doorknob a bit. After a few seconds of this, everything finally aligned as the key turned. A loud click indicated the lock was open, and Ochako entered her home.

It was nighttime, and the U.A. student had just gotten back from school. After a short train ride and walk, she had arrived at the rather unflattering apartment complex she lived at. The fact that she struggled so often with her lock was an indication of the quality of the place.

Stepping inside, the brunette shut and locked the door behind her as she took off her shoes.

The apartment was… Modest, to say the least. The entryway opened up into a very tiny kitchen that contained an oven with stovetops, a sink, some cupboards, and a small fridge. took her backpack off, opened it up, and fished around in it for a moment before pulling out a small plastic container with a lid. Inside was a mixture of rice, vegetables, and other foodstuffs mashed together.

Extra food she had taken home from school.

Setting the backpack down, she walked to the fridge and opened it up, revealing it to be almost entirely empty. Other plastic bins containing things similar to the one she was holding were inside, as well as a couple other food and drink items here and there. Setting the leftovers inside, she shut the door.

"Alright, that'll be good for a bit…"

Opening a door opposite the one she entered the apartment from, Ochako entered a second room. To her right was another door that led to her bathroom; otherwise, this was the entire apartment. A small, single room she slept and lived in. In the far right corner was a bedroll and pillow besides some curtains. In the other right corner there was a TV on a cabinet. Across from it was a little coffee table, though there were no chairs or even cushions in sight. A closet containing maybe a week's worth of clothing was built into the left wall.

Ochako walked over to the closet as she changed out of her uniform. Getting into her PJs, she then brushed her teeth before lying down on the bedroll. Not exactly comfortable, but she was more than used to it by now. A proper mattress, like many things, was just a luxury she couldn't afford right now. Or rather, a luxury her parents couldn't afford.

See, the Urarakas didn't live close enough to U.A. for Ochako to attend. Not without an absurdly long commute, anyway. As a result, the young heroine had to move closer to the school. Her parents couldn't move with her due to them needing to be close to work, which meant renting an apartment for their daughter. And well, her family wasn't exactly well off, so a place like this was the only place they could really afford.

A month of living here and Ochako still felt guilty. No matter how much her parents insisted it was okay, she knew this was a strain for them.

It was why she got minimal furnishings, to the point she didn't even buy a real bed. It was why she only shopped during sales, and even then, only bought the cheapest products she could. It was why she resorted to taking excess (free) food at school to bring home. It was why she showered in lukewarm water and didn't use most of her electrical appliances unless absolutely necessary. Anything to help her folks save a bit.

This was only temporary, after all. One day the gravity girl would become a great hero and be able to repay her parents back with interest. They'd be able to have the kind of life they deserved. Until then, though, she'd deal with living like this.

It didn't really bother her that much, honestly. Life at home hadn't been much better all things considered.

She yawned. It had been a long day for her; after class, she had spent a couple hours at the library getting work done (better than being at home and using electricity). She was still a bit hungry, her dinner having been a small bit of the food she had brought home, but it wasn't enough to really bother her. It had become a pretty normal feeling for her.

It was a tough life, but Ochako was a tough girl. And in the end, it was all for her parents. Knowing that made it just a little easier.

Didn't stop her from daydreaming, though.

She didn't want luxury, just… Comfort. Normalcy. To not have to worry so much, to not feel bad whenever she spent anything. To be able to go out, even if it was only occasionally, and have fun.

But that wasn't her life. Not at the moment, anyway. But one day, this would all pay off.

Yawning, the tired girl slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"Zzzzzzz…"

Mina Ashido snored loudly as she lied sprawled out on her bed, right leg dangling off the side. A sleeping mask covered her eyes as she snoozed, mouth agape as a sizeable stream of drool flowed out of it. Her covers were tossed about, barely covering her left foot.

"Zzzzzzzz…. Zzzzzzz… Zzzzzzz… Ah!"

The catatonic girl came to life as an alarm began to blare loudly beside her bed. Almost like a reflex, her right hand shot out and turned it off. Once the obnoxious noise had been silenced, she sat up. Yawning, she smacked her lips a few times before wiping the remnants of drool off her face with her sleeve. She then took off her mask and got out of bed. Another yawn escaped her as she stretched a bit before she walked over to her window, opening the blinds.

Bright light hit her face, causing her to squint a bit. It was a gorgeous morning outside, with the sun lighting up a cloudless blue sky. Mina beamed at the view, any remaining grogginess vanishing.

Now fully awake, the pink girl set about her morning routine. She started with a nice hot shower, singing loudly as she took plenty of time to clean herself. After washing, drying, and taking a little time to fluff her hair just right, she went back to her room and got dressed into her school clothes. Like every morning, she briefly considered just wearing one of the many, many cuter and more comfortable outfits sitting in her closet instead. Of course, that wouldn't fly at U.A., so she had to quash that desire.

After double checking to make sure she looked pristine, the young heroine bolted downstairs to get some breakfast.

"Hey kiddo," a tall, well-built man standing at the stove said as she entered the kitchen.

"Morning dad!" Mina greeted warmly.

Mr. Ashido looked quite different from his daughter. Aside from the horns on his head that matched hers he looked… Normal. Typical human skin color, hazel eyes with white sclera, and short, straight black hair.

"Sleep well?" The man asked as he flipped over some eggs in the pan he was holding. Next to him were four bowls of hot, steaming rice.

"Yeah, great…" Mina walked up beside him, looking back between the rice and eggs. "…Is one of these for me?"

"Sure is! I got up a little early so I figured I'd make something for-woah!" The large man nearly lost his balance as his daughter half-tackled-half-hugged him.

"Ohmygosh you're the BEST, dad!" Mina typically grabbed something quick and easy for breakfast like cereal, but every so often one of her parents would surprise her and the rest of the family with a nice treat like this during the week. Releasing him, she clapped her hands together. "Can I help at all?"

"You could set the table." The girl obliged, getting everything ready as her dad finished cooking the eggs, laying a pair atop each bowl of rice. He then added a few seasonings as Mina got herself some juice.

"Mom getting Makoto up?" She asked as she filled her glass.

"Yep. You know how it goes."

"I sure do…" She chuckled, shaking her head.

"He's almost as bad as you were at that age," Mr. Ashido said with a grin.

"Hey!" Mina shot him a look. "Come on, I was better than him."

"I lost count of how many times we had to literally drag you out of bed," a third voice came. Mina turned to see a woman slightly taller than her with curly brown hair that went to her shoulders, plain yet fair skin, and yellow-and-black eyes that matched hers.

"Mom!" Mina pouted, not appreciating her parents teaming up on her.

Like her husband, Mrs. Ashido also looked much more typical than Mina. Her eyes were the only unusual thing about her, much like Mr. Ashido's horns were the only striking thing about him. The reason neither of them had the pink coloration of their daughter was simple; they didn't share her Quirk.

Like many people, Mina's abilities were a combination of her parents'. Her dad could produce a slimy substance that he could change the viscosity of, and her mom could make her skin corrosive to the touch. Put together these gave rise to Mina's acid-producing powers, which had a side effect of turning her hair and skin pink.

As for Mrs. Ashido's eyes and Mr. Ashido's horns, those were the remnants of Quirks their family lines each had. Mina had inherited both features, though they served no real function.

"Morning, honey," Mrs. Ashido greeted her husband with a kiss. "Thanks for breakfast."

"Wanted to do something special. So where's the little devil?" Mr. Ashido looked past her.

"In the shower."

"Well, he better hurry. Wouldn't want his food to get cold!" The man let out a laugh.

Mina, meanwhile, was hurriedly eating her meal. She'd love to take her time and chat with her folks, but she did have places to be. By the time they had sat down to eat, she had finished.

"That was delicious! Thanks again, dad!" She exclaimed as she loaded her bowl and glass into the dishwasher. She then went back over to the table, giving both of her parents and hug and kiss.

"Love you both, gotta go, bye!" She turned to leave for school.

"Mina, wait!" The pink girl nearly tripped as she stopped herself. "…You're backpack?"

A few seconds passed as the young Ashido realized she had completely forgotten to grab it.

"Oh my god…" She slapped her face. "Right. Thanks mom. Don't know what I'd do without you."

She practically ran upstairs as her parents shared a laugh. As she approached her room, she passed a small boy dressed in a school uniform slowly making his way in the opposite direction. His head hung forward a bit as he dragged his feet; he looked quite tired.

Makoto Ashido, Mina's 12-year-old brother, was an interesting case. He shared his sister's eyes, but also had normal hair – his short, curly, and brown – and skin. He also had horns, but his were… Quite different.

See, the youngest Ashido had inherited the full version of the Quirk that ran in his dad's side of the family. As a result, his horns were substantially more pronounced than Mina's, looking more or less like a ram's.

"Morning, pipsqueak." Mina knocked a fist against one his horns a couple times as she passed.

"Nnng." The boy let out a small whine, patting her away. He'd normally have a retort for her, but he was much too tired.

Deciding not to mess with him too much, Mina continued to her room and grabbed her backpack. A few moments later and she was on her way to school.

Even this early in the morning, the Ashido household was full of energy. Mina never went a day without appreciating her wonderful life and even more wonderful family. Even if her brother could be a huge pain, as most 12-year-olds could, she still loved him.

Already in a good mood, the cheery girl hummed a tune to herself as she practically skipped towards the train station. It was going to be another great day.

* * *

And so a new adventure begins. Well, sorta; this chapter was mostly to establish the difference in the two main characters' home lives. Mina's home and family are all made up, more or less, but I took most of Ochako's stuff from the manga. There was some little gag comic where Momo lived with her for a bit and we got to see some of her apartment.

Dunno when the next update will be, really comes down to when I feel like sitting down to write.


	2. Sleepovers and Sundaes

The U.A. cafeteria was bustling with activity as Ochako picked out her meal. As usual, she made to sure to grab more than she could eat. Nearby students gave her a few looks as she piled on food, but she was more than used to them by now.

Once she felt she had enough, she headed for her usual spot where her friends were waiting: Midoriya, Iida, Asui, and…

"Hey!" Mina waved with a big smile on her face as the brunette walked over. The others greeted her as she got closer.

"Hey guys." She sat down next to Mina on the end of the table. Midoriya sat across from her, with Iida next to him. Asui sat on the other side of Mina. Midoriya and Iida were in the middle of a conversation about what they had just gone over in class. They both seemed quite enthusiastic about the history of hero laws.

Ochako sighed lightly as she watched them go, starting on her meal. The two brainiacs were two of her first friends she made here, and she was very close to both of them. Midoriya especially; she really admired his conviction and ingenuity.

But the fact that neither of them really had an off switch was… Annoying sometimes. Their dedication to their studies and future careers was a good quality to have of course, especially for a school like this. But sometimes it got to be a bit much. Sometimes Ochako didn't want to talk about heroes or school or any of that. Sometimes she just wanted to talk about random nonsense like most people her age did.

Luckily, there was someone who could fulfill that want for her.

"Oh my god you guys, look at this!" Mina held up her phone, showing it off to everyone around her. "Isn't this just the cutest?"

"I prefer frogs, but that is quite cute," Asui said in her usual flat tone.

"Is that sanitary…?" Iida muttered.

"That's… A lot of bunnies," Midoriya noted. When it finally got to Ochako, she squealed a bit.

On Mina's phone was a small clip of a woman more or less getting buried by dozens of bunnies as she fed them. The cute little furballs climbed all over as they tried to get at the food being offered, noses twitching.

"That's adorable!" Ochako squeaked, hands on her cheeks. She honestly felt a bit jealous of the woman.

"I know, right? Apparently there's, like, as island full of them you can visit!" Mina was bouncing in her seat a bit as she said this.

"No way!" Her friend went bug-eyed. Could such a place really exist? How had she not heard of it?

"Yes way! We totally need to go sometime!"

Ochako had never met anyone quite like Mina. The pinkette was one of the most energetic, fun-loving, and all-around happy people she had ever met. Though she hadn't been friends with her as long as she had with Midoriya and Iida, Ochako honestly felt a bit closer to Mina in some regards. While they both certainly cared about their careers as heroes (They both made it to the final round of the Sports Festival, after all), it wasn't their entire lives like it seemed to be for the two workaholics. Ochako could actually talk about other things with Mina without them somehow always looping back to heroics or some sort of lecture. Such as their love for all things cute and fuzzy.

The two would often hang out outside of school, typically at Mina's house. Ochako had gotten pretty familiar with her family and enjoyed their company. Mr. and Mrs. Ashido were very much like their daughter in a lot of ways, both being extremely friendly and kind-hearted. And Makoto, as immature as he could be, was sweet enough. It was admittedly funny to watch he and his sister always bicker.

The only downside to spending time with Mina was that she wanted to constantly go places. Ochako had to exercise a lot of willpower not to spend whenever they did.

Such as right now.

"Absolutely, that sounds… Wait." As much as the impoverished girl wanted to go to this wonderful place, she had to face reality. Uh… How much do trips there cost?"

"Huh?" Mina calmed down a bit too. "Oh, uh, let me see…" She took a moment to search with her phone. After a few moments, Ochako saw her wince.

"Yikes," she said. "That, uh, that's not cheap." Ochako sighed, shoulders falling a bit.

"How much…?" Mina simply showed her the phone again, which was now on a webpage with prices for the island.

Well beyond what the brunette could afford right now.

"I mean, I could probably save my allowance up…" Mina trailed off as her friend shook her head.

"It's fine. We'll just put a rain check on it, okay?"

Mina – and all of Ochako's friends – were at least somewhat aware of her financial situation. She had admitted her family wasn't that well off and that she wanted to be a hero mostly to make money to help them, and she had explained that she currently lived alone due to how far away her parents lived. None of them had actually seen her place, however.

They tried not to pry into too much, though Mina couldn't help herself sometimes. She was a naturally nosy person, for better or worse, and was always offering to pay for things for Ochako whenever they went out together. She turned the offers down every time of course, partially due to pride though mostly because of guilt. While she appreciated the gesture, she simply didn't want to be a burden on her friend.

The pair continued to converse as they ate, the rest of the table joining in the conversation here and there. Mina brought up something new nearly every minute, usually relating to the newest thing she discovered on her phone. Cute and funny pictures, some random article that may or may not have been true, basically anything that didn't relate to school. It certainly made for a lively lunch period.

After Ochako decided she'd eaten enough, she opened up her backpack.

"Whoops, guess I wasn't as hungry as I thought," she said to nobody in particular. "Well, no reason to waste it." Pulling out a plastic container, she began scooping what remained of her meal into it. Nobody else said anything; they were pretty used to this behavior by now. It may have seemed weird, but they all agreed it was better than just tossing the leftovers.

Lunch ended a few minutes later, and students began clearing out of the cafeteria to finish their classes for the day. As the 1A group walked together, Mina got up next to Ochako.

"So, Ochako," she started. "You got anything going on after school today?" Her friend shook her head.

"Probably just staying after for some studying and then heading home." As was her routine most days. "Why, did you want to do something?"

"Yeah, we got the day off tomorrow so I was thinking we could have a sleepover!" Ochako smiled as Mina suggested this.

They'd had sleepovers at Mina's house a couple times now; it was a frequent suggestion for Saturday nights. They were always a blast, and Ochako rarely had a reason to say no.

"Sounds great! What time should I head over?" Not only did this mean spending more time with Mina, but it _also_ meant getting to sleep in an actual bed tonight. And getting a nice breakfast. And just not being, well, alone.

Ochako realized she was being a bit selfish thinking that sort of stuff, and it did honestly make her feel a little bad. It was why she never asked to come over, instead only waiting until Mina invited her to spend the night. Inviting herself over would be rude, after all.

Of course, she could always suggest they spend the night at _her_ place, but…

Mina had actually asked if they could do that once or twice, but Ochako would always change the subject. Fortunately, the pink girl had a pretty erratic attention span and would soon forget that she even brought it up. Ochako obviously didn't _like_ doing it; it felt a bit manipulative, and it seemed unfair that they only ever spent time at Mina's place. But it just wouldn't be fun hanging out in that crappy apartment.

That and, well… Ochako just didn't want Mina seeing how she lived.

"Oh, well I haven't actually cleared it with my folks or anything. Gotta ask them first, but I'm sure it'll be fine." Mina beamed. "I'll let you know for sure after class, 'kay?" Inviting a friend over without even asking if it was okay really summed up the sort of person Mina was, and Ochako couldn't help but laugh a bit. Her parents were pretty easy-going though, so she was right in thinking they wouldn't have any problems.

The rest of the school day continued as normal, although Ochako had a little trouble focusing on class as she thought about all the fun she and Mina would have over the weekend. Last time they had a sleepover they stayed up so late watching movies and just chatting that Ochako wound up spending the night in Mina's bed as opposed to the guest bed she normally used.

The gravity girl felt herself blush a bit as she recalled this. It had been a little embarrassing for both of them when they woke up that morning huddled together. They quickly got over it, of course; they were both quite comfortable being that close with one another at this point. It was just surprising was all.

Point was that the two of them had a lot of fun together, and Ochako was extremely excited for the weekend now that she had that to look forward to. Normally weekends were something she almost dreaded; without school, she had nothing to really do all day other than work out for a bit. All that boredom tempted her to go out and do things, spend money she absolutely could not afford to spend.

When they were finally let loose for the day, the two girls quickly found each other. Ochako noticed that Mina looked slightly disappointed as she approached.

"Hey, uh, about tonight," she started. Her friend frowned as she felt all that anticipation start to drop. "Apparently Makoto already asked if a couple of his friends could spend the night, so uh… Yeah." Mina's parents were very lax, but they still had limits. That many guests sleeping over definitely seemed like it'd be problematic. Besides, Ochako – and Mina, most likely – didn't really want to deal with a band of 12-year-olds all night.

"Ah. I see." It shouldn't have bothered her so much. It wasn't like this was some huge event or anything. Yet knowing she was going to be stuck at home again for the weekend was… Bleh.

Granted, Mina looked pretty let down too. But then again, she was always overly emotional and dramatic.

"Well… We can still hang out today, right?" If nothing else, they could still spend the evening together.

"I mean we could, but Makoto's friends will be there and just… Ugh. I do _not_ feel like dealing with them." The pink girl was clearly annoyed with the situation she'd be in.

Suddenly, she lit up as if she just thought of a genius idea.

"Oh! What about your place?"

"Huh?" Uh oh. Ochako was hoping this wouldn't come up.

"Like, we could just have a sleepover there right?" She was back to her normal cheery self in an instant.

"Well uh, I guess, but…" Ochako looked to the side, scratching the side of her head.

This was bad. Normally she'd try to just change the subject or convince Mina to do something else, but options were limited.

"Uh… We could just hang out downtown for a while too." It would mean having to resist spending anything, but it was all the brunette could think of.

"Well yeah, but… I still haven't even been over to your place! I'm like, super curious!" Oh no. Curious Mina was dangerous. "And like, it'd be just the two of us right? That sounds super cool! Nobody around to tell us what to do…" She gasped. "We could have _ice cream_ for dinner!" She said it as if it were the most risqué thing ever.

For a moment, Ochako considered changing her mind.

"…Yeah, we could couldn't we…?" She rubbed her chin thoughtfully before snapping back to reality. "B-But still, I don't think it's a good idea. My place is really small and there's not a lot to do…"

"I'll bring some movies or games or something!" Mina was quite insistent. "Come on, it'll be fun!"

Ochako opened her mouth to protest more but stopped herself.

It was clear Mina had been looking forward to hanging out with her. It was also clear that she didn't want to be home tonight if she could help it. Was it really fair to turn her down when there was no good reason to do so? Or was it just Ochako being selfish and paranoid?

The latter, obviously. Thinking about it more, she didn't know why this was such a huge deal for her. Mina was a good person; she wasn't the type that would think less of a friend just because they were, well, poor as dirt. While it would be way less fun than spending the night at her place they'd still be hanging out together. And that was what really mattered, right?

"…Alright, let's do that," Ochako finally agreed.

"Woohoo!" Mina cheered, practically jumping for joy. "Ohmygosh, this'll be _awesome_! We can stay up all night, we don't have to worry about being quite… And seriously: Ice cream dinner!"

"Uh, heh… I, uh, don't have any ice cream actually," Ochako mumbled, looking to the side.

"I'll pick some up then!" Mina sure was fixated on this idea. "What time should I head over? Oh, and I'll need your address obviously."

"Right… Well um, I guess any time." Ochako paused. "Actually, I could just go home with you and we'll both head to my place." Better than just sitting around bored.

"Sounds good!"

The two girls continued on their way.

* * *

"Okay, strawberry or chocolate?"

"Oh, I don't know… Both sound good."

"Then we'll get both!" Mina grinned as she threw both bins of ice cream in the basket. "Alright, anything else?" She and Ochako had acquired the makings for full sundaes.

"Uh, I think that should be plenty." The brunette paused. "Er, how much is all of this again?"

"Oh don't sweat it, I got this!" Mina assured her. She knew her friend was in a bit of a rough spot financially and didn't want to put any unneeded strain on her bank account.

"What? Oh, no, you don't need to…"

"Hey, I'm the one who suggested this. Only fair I cover it, right?"

"Still, I don't want you to feel-

"Relax, alright? I wouldn't be offering if I didn't want to." Alright sure, Mina didn't _want_ to cover all of this, but that wasn't the point. Like she said, she was the one who thought of making sundaes. On top of that, Ochako was hosting tonight. It just felt rude to ask her to chip in.

Of course, the brunette was insistent she help pay. Mina knew by now she didn't like people buying things for her. She didn't want to be seen as a charity case. Normally her friend would respect that wish, but tonight she was feeling stubborn.

It wasn't as if Mina pitied Ochako or anything. She was just a generous person, and just liked doing nice things for others. Her parents gave her a decent enough allowance, so why not offer to cover things?

That said, she _did_ recognize her companion didn't have a lot of money to throw around, and she tried to be considerate of that. They were friends, after all. Best friends even. Sure they'd only known each a little over a month now, but Mina honestly felt closer to her than even her middle school friends. Much of that was likely the fact that they shared a similar dream of becoming pro heroes, but also just because they seemed to mesh perfectly. They tended to be on the same wavelength about things, and they were able to talk about almost anything together.

Which is why Mina couldn't help but worry about her. The fact that she had been so reluctant to have the pinkette over to her place was… Odd, to say the least. What was she so worked up about? It couldn't be _that_ bad.

And then there was her behavior at lunch. That wasn't the first time she'd "accidentally" taken too much food. The fact that she always had something to store the leftovers in on hand was a bit telling. Sure it was free, but it wasn't _great_ food. Not bad but not great.

There were plenty of other little things Mina noticed about her best friend, and she had tried to bring them up a few times. As expected, Ochako would insist everything was fine.

"Mina?" The pink girl realized she had spaced out as her friend called out to her.

"Huh? Sorry, zoned out there."

Maybe she was overthinking all this. Maybe she was worrying for nothing. Ochako seemed happy after all, and that was all that mattered in the end.

The two finished their shopping (Ochako reluctantly allowing Mina to pay) and continued toward their destination. Mina had already gotten everything else she needed from her house, such as a sleeping bag, her laptop, movies, and some games.

"So, do we use the ice cream tonight or tomorrow? I'm honestly thinking tomorrow. You know, Sunday sundaes!" Ochako asked as they walked. Mina almost had to stop walking as she said this. Her eyes widened. Holy crap, why didn't she think of that?

"That's genius! Ohmygosh, we could totally make that like a regular thing too!" She had been so enamored with the idea of dessert for dinner that she hadn't considered that possibility. What a fun idea!

"Ooooh, that could be fun!" Ochako seemed very into it. "Like, we could try making different stuff every time!" Mina gasped, her creative center now in full force.

"Yeah! Different flavors, toppings… We could experiment! Try to figure out the ultimate sundae recipe!"

"Oh wow… What if we discovered something nobody's ever had before and it's, like, the greatest thing ever!"

"A secret recipe… We'd be, like, heroes in the ice cream world!"

This was a very typical conversation for the two girls. They could take just about any random topic and turn it into a full discussion. Both of them (though mostly Mina) frequently came up with silly ideas like this that they'd chat excitedly about for a long while. Of course, the bulk of said ideas were forgotten about within hours.

"Yeah, and then we could…" Ochako suddenly trailed off, her smile dropping. "…Er, well, actually… I don't know if I could afford to do this every weeke-

"Oh hush, I'll handle it." Mina could _probably_ cover it. Maybe. Er, well, if they did it every other week at least. Still, she was far too into this idea to think about that right now.

It wasn't long before they arrived at Ochako's apartment. It wasn't the most glamorous complex to be sure, but it wasn't super run down or anything.

"Well… Here we are," She sounded a bit nervous as they got to her door. As she went to unlock it, though, there seemed to be a problem. "Uh… Hang on." Mina simply watched as she started fighting with her door's lock, the key apparently refusing to turn. "Sorry, this can just – ugh, come on – get… Stuck… Some… Times." After a solid 10 seconds of jostling, the key finally turned. Mina noticed Ochako had a slight blush on her face as she hurriedly opened the door.

Deciding not to comment, Mina followed her inside.

"So this is the kitchen," Her friend said as they entered. It was pretty dang small, like she had said earlier. Honestly, Mina found it a little cute. She did notice, however, that the place was quite bare. There wasn't any visible food lying on the counters or anything, and aside from the fridge, sink, and stove/oven combo the only appliance looked to be a microwave. No dishwasher, toasters or anything like that.

She didn't pay it much mind as they started to put away the food they'd brought. Mina was a bit surprised at how empty the fridge and cupboards were as she opened them up; there was practically nothing in them! There was mostly rice, bean sprouts, some instant noodles… And several containers of what were clearly leftover school lunches sitting in the fridge.

…Maybe Ochako just needed to go grocery shopping?

"Hey, uh, Ochako," Mina started as they finished putting things away. "Since we're going to have the ice cream tomorrow, what uh… What was the plan for dinner?"

"Huh? Oh, um…" The brunette went through what she had. "Well uh… I normally just heat up some leftovers. That or have some noodles." She rubbed her arm as she fidgeted awkwardly. "S-Sorry, I know it's not much but…"

Wait, this was normal for her?

"Oh. Well, uh, I'll just have some noodles if that's okay."

"I can add some sprouts or something. You know, make it a bit more of a meal."

"Um, sure!"

Mina was confused. Was this how she ate all the time? How?

Ochako filled a cup of noodles up with water before putting it in the microwave. As it started heating up, she pointed to the door across from the entrance.

"You can put the rest of your stuff in there." She looked a bit reluctant as she said this. Mina went over to the door and went into the next room.

She had to do a double take as she did. Ochako had said she didn't have much, but…

The place was practically empty. A single table with no chairs in sight, a closet with a handful of clothes, and a small cabinet with an old-looking TV resting on it. Oh, and a bedroll. Not an actual bed or even a mattress, just a pad with a pillow and blanket.

And that was it. No posters, no decorations of any kind. And pretty much no entertainment either aside from the television.

 _This_ was how she was living? Mina knew she had money problems, but this…

"Mina?"

The pink girl turned to see Ochako standing behind her, two cups of noodles in hand.

"Food's ready." She held one of the cups out.

"Ah, right." Mina took the cup. "Thanks."

The two stared at each other for a moment. Ochako's sighed, shoulders slumping.

"…I know, it's… Not much."

"Hey, hey." Her friend rested a hand on her shoulder. She needed to be positive right now; they were here to have fun. "Alright, so it's not a mansion. So? I'm still hanging out with my best buddy." Flashing a grin, she gestured to the table.

The evening went by quick. The girls found plenty of ways to entertain themselves, from watching things on Mina's computer or the TV to playing cards and the other little games she brought to just talking. It was all in all a good time.

…Well, mostly.

Despite the fun they had and the laughs they shared throughout the night, there was this underlying tension that just wouldn't go away. Mina made a point not to bring up Ochako's living conditions, but she was certainly thinking about it the whole time. Unfortunately, she wasn't the best at hiding her feelings; Ochako could obviously tell she was a bit uncomfortable, but never said anything about it. It was a weird thing where both of them recognized what the other was likely thinking, yet neither of them confronted the other. Instead they simply continued to act like everything was alright.

Though Mina had mentioned the idea of staying up all night, by about midnight neither girl had much energy left. As the two sat against Ochako's wall watching online videos, the pink girl yawned.

"Oh man… Getting sleepy…" She was leaned against Ochako a bit, who also yawned.

"Yeah…" She mumbled drowsily. "I think it's time for bed…" Mina nodded before slowly standing up, wincing a bit as she did. Sitting on the floor and against the wall for this long had made her a bit stiff, and both her back and butt were a little sore. Not having a chair was rough.

How did Ochako deal with all this? More importantly, how did she deal with all of it and still manage to be so cheery all the time? Mina wasn't the sort of person that thought you needed a pampered life to be happy but living like this was something else. Ochako was one tough girl to be able to handle this for so long.

Then again, all those little things Mina always noticed… Perhaps she wasn't quite as okay with it as she let on. And honestly, that was the main reason her friend was so worried about all this.

If Ochako didn't act the way she did about all this it'd be one thing. Mina would still question just how she could be okay living like this, but she wouldn't judge or anything. If Ochako was happy, then what was the problem? If anything, Mina would admire her more for being able to handle this minimalist lifestyle.

But she _clearly_ wasn't happy. Not totally anyway.

The tired girl yawned again. Bleh, too late to think about all this. Maybe tomorrow.

The pair finished getting ready for bed. Mina set up her sleeping bag besides Ochako's "bed", and the two lied down. Before long, they were both sound asleep.

* * *

Figure this is a decent cut-off. Not exactly the most eventful chapter, but I mostly wanted to establish what the characters' relationship is currently like before moving forward. Felt like a lot of internal rambling from both Mina and Ochako, hopefully it didn't drag too much. Anyway, see you next time.


	3. The Invitation

The sounds of spoons scraping against bowls rang out in an otherwise quiet room. Ochako and Mina sat beside each other as they enjoyed their breakfast sundaes, still in their pajamas. Aside from an occasional comment on how good the ice cream was, neither one of them had spoken much.

Ochako couldn't decide if this had been all been a good idea or not. It had been fun, yes, but also a little awkward. The two girls had acted as silly and carefree as they normally did when they hung out together, but there was this underlying tension to it all. They were both trying to ignore the clear elephant in the room.

Mina obviously had some thoughts about her friend's state of living. Even if she claimed not to, it was clear from her body language last night that she did. She was not a very subtle person after all.

Ochako knew her place sucked. She knew her food sucked. She knew Mina wasn't as okay with it all as she tried to let on. Who would be?

Both of them clearly wanted to address the subject, yet at the same time they also didn't. Neither wanted to be the one who killed the mood and ruined the fun. And so they just acted like everything was fine, goofing around as always. Unfortunately, that tension had grown overnight, and it was starting to get unbearable. The fact that they were barely talking was a testament to that.

Ochako shut her sighs, sighing. This conversation needed to happen.

"Hey, Mina?" The brunette turned to look at her friend.

"Hm?" The two locked eyes for a moment before Ochako sighed, turning back to her bowl.

"Can… Can you just say it already?"

"Say what?"

"You know what." She heard Mina put her spoon down and sigh. It took a moment for her to speak.

"…I just don't get how you can live like this." Ochako tensed up a bit; she knew her friend was thinking something along these lines, but that didn't make hearing it any easier.

"…I manage," was all she said in response. "It's not so bad, really." A clear lie, and Mina knew it.

"Yes it is!" Mina shouted, now facing her. "Ocha, come on! Be honest with me here! You're clearly not happy-

"Of course I'm not!" Ochako snapped, glaring as she whirled around to face Mina. "What, you think I _like_ not having a bed, or eating like crap, or never going out!?" She shouldn't be yelling like this. There was no reason to get so mad at Mina for talking like this; any rational person would.

"No! That's the point!" Mina exclaimed, not so much angry as just generally upset. "Can… Can you really not do anything to change that?" Ochako shut her eyes, taking a deep breath. This was her first time getting a chance to talk about this all with someone, and she was letting all her frustration get to her.

"No, I can't. Not without hurting my parents." She was a little reluctant to explain the full extent of her situation, but if there was anyone who deserved to know…

"Huh?"

"Well, you know my family's just generally not very well off. And we live too far from U.A. to commute."

"Right, that's why you're even here." Mina knew that much at least.

"We were just barely making ends meet before I came here. And now my parents also have to cover the cost of this apartment _and_ give me enough to live on my own with." Ochako paused, looking down a bit. Her friend stayed quiet. "So I figure I can help them out a bit by living as, well, cheaply as possible. That way they can still have a bit for themselves, you know?"

"…So it's a choice?" Mina was quite surprised by this revelation. Her friend gave a weak smile.

"Yeah. It's… Not easy, but… Mom and dad have given up so much for my sake." She could feel tears coming. "I figure I can do the same for them." Her voice was a bit shaky.

"Ocha…" Mina picked up on things immediately, scooching over to her and embracing her. Ochako hugged her back, sobbing lightly as they held each other. It felt good to tell all this to someone, honestly; it was like a weight had been lifted off her chest that she hadn't even been aware of.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, both girls crying softly as they hugged it out. Ochako found herself quickly calming down, the feeling of her friend's arms around her quite relaxing. She'd always enjoyed Mina's hugs.

"…Thank you," she said as they separated. "I… I really needed that."

"Yep, I've yet to find a problem that can't be solved with enough hugs." They two shared a laugh. "Now, let's finish these before they melt!" Ochako's eyes widened a bit as she looked back at her now partially liquid sundae.

"Oh, shoot, you're right!"

The two began to quickly scarf down the remains of their breakfast. Of course, it wasn't long before one of them cried out in pain.

"Ah! Brain freeze!"

* * *

"Everything alright, Mina?"

"Hm?" The girl in question looked up from her dinner at her mom. "Sorry, what?"

Mina had left Ochako's a few hours ago, having spent the morning and most of the afternoon there. A lot had been on her mind since then, and still was. Understanding her friend's situation better simultaneously made things more and less complicated to her head.

Ochako was voluntarily living the way she did. Well, mostly; from what she described, she likely couldn't change things _that_ much. But enough to make a difference, at least. She admitted she didn't like it, but… She still went through with it. All for her parents' sake; a selfless act of love.

Mina found it extremely touching, and a fine example of why Ochako would make a great hero someday. But that didn't change the fact that she was worried for her friend. There was such a thing as too much self-sacrifice, after all.

On top of that, it honestly sounded like the whole situation was tough on the entire Uraraka family, not just Ochako. And that bothered Mina greatly; Ochako was one of the sweetest people she'd ever met, and it sounded like her parents were very much like her. They deserved better than what they were getting, and the pinkette really wanted to help.

"I asked if you were alright, honey," Mrs. Ashido repeated, concern in her voice. "You seem upset about something."

Mina had never been good at hiding her feelings, especially to her parents. She had probably been eating too slow or being too quiet due to thinking about Ochako so much.

"Oh no, I'm fine. Just a little tired." Not totally untrue; she hadn't gotten too much sleep last night. "Just had a bit too much fun I guess!" She forced a smile.

Lying wasn't something Mina enjoyed doing, but she wasn't sure she should tell her family about what Ochako told her. It seemed quite personal.

"Ah." This seemed to satisfy her mother. She then turned her attention elsewhere. "Makoto, sweetie, please. Manners."

"Mwuh?" The younger sibling had seemingly crammed as much food as he could possibly fit into his mouth, to the point his cheeks were bulging. Mina smirked.

"You look like a squirrel, dude." Makoto shot her a look but obviously couldn't say anything as he chewed his meal. He instead made some muffled sounds at her, which only made his sister laugh.

"Smaller bites, kiddo," Mr. Ashido instructed.

The family dinner continued. At one point, Mina felt her phone buzz. Taking a brief second to check it, she grimaced a bit when she saw what it said.

"Talk to us when you're ready, k?" It was from her mom.

She had never been a good liar.

The evening went on. After dinner, Mina went up to her room to think some more. Should she tell her parents? She didn't want to worry them, after all. And Ochako had never explicitly said not to tell anyone. Then again, it seemed self-evident that was meant to stay between them.

She could only tell them a little bit, but they could be as curious and nosy as she was. They WOULD find out the rest.

Groaning, the pink girl flung back onto her bed. So much was on her mind right now, and it was making her head spin. She wanted to help Ochako and her family so much, but she couldn't for the life of her figure out how. Just giving her some money wouldn't help much; it didn't fix the core issue. And there's no way she would agree to it anyway.

Ugh, if only there was some way to just eliminate the apartment from the equation entirely. That'd be the ideal solution, but then where would Ochako stay if-

"Oh my god."

Mina sat up straight, eyes wide as it dawned on her. Her face lit up as she realized there was, in fact, a way to do just that.

Not thinking about the details, the girl bolted out her door and downstairs. She nearly tripped as she slid into the doorway of the living room.

"Mom, dad!" Both her parents – and Makoto – were sitting around the TV as she entered the room. "We gotta talk, like, now!" The two adults looked at one another before muting the TV.

"Hey!" Makoto shouted. "What's the big-

"Makoto, not now," Mrs. Ashido interrupted as Mina walked right in front of the TV, barely able to stand still as she looked at her parents. "What's going on, Mina?"

"Yes, what's gotten into-

"Can Ochako move in with us?" Their daughter blurted out. There was a moment of silence as two stared at her with bewilderment.

"Er, I'm sorry… What?" Mrs. Ashido seemed uncertain she heard correctly.

"You're asking if your friend can…"

"Move in, yes!" Mina nodded vigorously. "See, she's living in a really crappy apartment right now because that's all her parents could afford for her and it's really tough on them so she's living on like _nothing_ right now so she can help them save money and it really _really_ sucks and she's super not happy and I feel super bad and I want to help out…" She paused to take a breath. "And I've been trying to think of what I could do like all day and literally like 30 seconds ago thought 'Hey she could move in with us' and-

"Mina, Mina!" Her mom cut her off, holding up a hand. The pink girl had been talking a mile a minute, making all sorts of erratic gestures as she excitedly the logic behind her request. "Slow down honey, please." Mina took a few deep breaths, realizing she was getting far too worked up.

"…Explain that again, please," Mr. Ashido requested. "Slower."

She obliged the request, going over in more detail the Urarakas' situation and why she felt this was a good solution. It would eliminate the cost of the apartment which would ease Mr. and Mrs. Uraraka's burden while also giving Ochako somewhere nicer to stay. And with her parents saving money, she could afford to spend a little more for herself without feeling so bad about it. It'd be better for all of them!

"I… I see." Mrs. Ashido was still a little taken aback by the request, as was her husband. "That is quite a dilemma they're in."

"Yes, but having her move in…" Mr. Ashido started.

"I know it's a lot to ask, but please!" Mina put her hands together as if to beg. "We can handle it, right? Come on, you guys know her super well already so it wouldn't be weird. She could stay in the guest room! And it's not like she'd be here forever. Just during the school year…" Her mother sighed.

"Mina…"

"If Mina's friend gets to live here, can one of mine too?" Makoto suddenly asked.

"Makoto, I swear to… Not now." His older sibling was _not_ in the mood.

"What? If you get to have a friend move in, I should too!"

"Hey, nobody's moving in anywhere!" Mr. Ashido yelled. Mina's head snapped to him. Had he really just said hat?

"Daddy…" Her voice was soft and sad. "Please, I-

"Dear." Mrs. Ashido rested a hand on the man's shoulder. The two turned to each other. "You heard what she said. Her family's situation seems rather…" Mr. Ashido sighed.

"Yes, I know. It's just a lot to consider…"

"I agree." They were both silent for a moment as they continued to look at one another. A wordless conversation seemed to happen between them before they both turned to their daughter, who eagerly awaited their answer.

"I think both us need a little time to process this, sweetie," Mrs. Ashido finally said.

"But-

"No buts," Mr. Ashido held up a hand. "We aren't saying no. We just want some time to discuss it." Mina wanted to argue, but she kept quiet. They were right, of course; this was a pretty big request, and they should probably make sure they were absolutely okay with it before answering. The fact that they were even considering it was good enough.

"…Alright," she said, nodding once. "Thank you." Makoto looked back and forth at her sister and parents.

"…Soooo does that mean one of my friends could possibly-

"No," all three of the older Ashidos said in unison.

"Aw…"

* * *

"That'll be it for today. I'll see you all tomorrow."

Ochako felt relief wash over her as Mr. Aizawa dismissed the class. U.A. was a wonderful place and all, but school was still school at the end of the day. Nobody really _liked_ having to deal with it.

"Well, almost nobody…" She muttered, eyeing Midoriya and Iida.

It had been a pretty standard day for the gravity girl. There had been no special exercises or tests of any sort, just the typical classes and workouts. Honestly, it was sometimes a struggle to focus on it all… Which may have explained her grades.

In terms of class rankings, Ochako was 13th out of 20. Not exactly good, especially considering she hung around most of the smartest students. Still, she was getting by. That's all that really mattered, right? Not like pros were judged on their math skills. Besides, things could be worse. She could be like-

"Hey!" Mina had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Speak of the devil…

The pinkette was 19th in the class, just above Kaminari. It wasn't the biggest surprise to anyone who knew her; she simply didn't seem to care much about school work, and her attention span wasn't the best. From what Ochako understood, a major cause of her subpar grades was that she just didn't finish her assignments on time, if at all. She also barely took notes, meaning she had next to nothing to study for exams. This was strictly academics, of course; she was one of the top combatants in the class, often excelling at any training exercises. There was a reason she got as far as she did during the Sports Festival.

"Hey Mina." Ochako stood, greeting her. Her friend had been even more anxious than usual today, she had noticed. Even now she had a big grin on her face and was bouncing on the balls of her feet a bit. "What's going on?"

"I have something like, totally awesome to tell you!" Mina exclaimed cheerfully. She looked around at some of the other students as they packed up for the day. "Buuuut I don't want to say it here."

"Oh?" This piqued the brunette's curiosity. Why did she have to say? "Should we go somewhere else?"

"Yeah, come on! Quick, quick!" She seemed quite impatient as she tugged on Ochako's arm.

"Alright, alright. Just a sec…" The shorter girl finished gathering her things before following her energetic friend out the door. As they did, her mind drifted back to yesterday.

She really needed to have that talk. Telling Mina all that stuff about her family felt quite liberating, even if it was all a little embarrassing to admit. But now she didn't have to tiptoe around the subject anymore. At least, not with her.

It helped that Mina was very understanding about it all. She really was a good friend.

The pinkette led her brunette friend outside and a bit off the path. The fact that she wanted this much privacy was making Ochako even more interested. What could this be about?

"Alright, so!" Mina whirled around, clapping her hands together. "First things first… Gotta confess something. Promise you won't be mad?"

"Huh?" Ochako cocked her head. "Uh… Yeah, promise." What could she have possibly done?

"Okay, I may have… Well, no, I definitely wound up telling my parents about all that stuff you told me yesterday." She paused, biting her lower lip as she seemed to wait for her friend's reaction. Ochako was a little shocked by this revelation, and honestly a bit hurt. That was all pretty private stuff, and she wasn't sure she felt okay with Mina just telling people like that.

"Mina…"

"I know, I know. I wouldn't have said anything if it wasn't for a good reason." Good reason? "See, I needed them to know about it so they'd understand why I was asking them to let you move in-Oh, shoot! Getting ahead of myself aren't I?" She slapped her face, shaking her head. Ochako didn't really notice this, though; she had sort of frozen up both physically and mentally.

Did she just hear that right? Mina had asked her parents to do what now?

"I…" She shook her head. "I'm sorry, I don't think I understand." Surely Mina didn't actually mean-

"I'm asking if you want to move in to our place," Mina interrupted, a bright smile on her face. "You know, instead of living in that apartment."

"I… WHAT!?" Ochako felt herself start to lift off the ground as she involuntarily activated her Quirk. "M-M-Move in with you?" Where in the world did that come from?

"Yeah! That way your parents can stop paying for that stupid apartment!" She said it like it was the most obvious thing. "My folks decided they'd be okay with it and everything! You'd stay in the guest room – rent free, obviously – and just live with us during the school year!"

Ochako was stunned by this offer. On one hand, it was… Incredibly generous and kind. But on the other, there was a part of her that didn't feel right about accepting it. She didn't want to be a burden on Mina's family.

"I…" She shook her head. "N-No, I couldn't. That's too much to ask."

"But we're the ones offering! I'm telling you, it's alright!" Mina stepped forward. "Come on, think about it. You'd have like, an actual bed and good food and-

"I said no!" Ochako cut her off, a hint of anger in her voice that caused her friend to flinch.

There was another reason she wasn't sure about this whole thing: Pride. She couldn't help but think this all felt a little demeaning. Like Mina's family thought of hers as a charity case.

"I've told you before, I don't… I don't need help, Mina. I'm getting by just fine." The pink girl was silent for a moment, then sighed.

"I… I know you don't _need_ it. I just..." She looked down. "You're all giving up so much for each other when you shouldn't have to. And like, I know you guys can handle it. You're tough, and I bet your folks are too. But just…" Another sigh. "I just thought this would make things better for everyone."

Ochako turned away, also sighing. She needed to calm down and actually think about this. Mina was right; Ochako's parents were giving up a ton to help her achieve her dream, and she in turn was giving things up to help them back. Neither party wanted the other to be unhappy, but in a way they both were.

"…Your parents are definitely okay with it?" Setting aside her pointless pride, that was really the only thing keeping her from agreeing to this.

"Yes. They spent like, all night discussing it apparently."

God… It really did make everything better, for both her and her parents. Plus, she'd be getting to live with her best friend.

The brunette turned back around, smiling.

"I probably need to talk about it with my parents first, but…" Mina brightened up. "That does sound nice."

"Okay, sure! Talk to your folks and then let me-oof!" She was cut off as Ochako suddenly pulled her into a tight hug.

"Thank you..." She said softly as Mina hugged her back. "I… Really, I don't know what to say."

"Hey, helping people's what heroes do right?" The pink girl giggled. "Besides… You're my friend, Ocha. Friends look out for each other."

The held each other for a little while more.

* * *

Mina lied in bed staring at the ceiling. It was late, but she wasn't the least bit tired. Sitting up suddenly, she checked her phone, as if expecting there to be a message.

Nothing.

Sighing loudly, she flopped back down. She'd lost count of how many times she had looked now.

"Come on…" Ochako hadn't gotten back to her yet about her decision. It sounded like she'd be going through with it, but if her parents said no…

She jumped a bit when her ringtone went off. Scrambling over to her nightstand, she answered the device without even checking who it was.

"Hello? Ochako?" She was practically shouting.

"Hey." Oh good, it was her and not some telemarketer. "So, uh, I talked with my parents and well…" She paused; Mina bit her lip, anxious as all hell. "We'll need a little time to deal with the apartment, but we all agree it'd be best if I moved in with you."

"YES!" Mina cheered, literally leaping out of bed as she raised her arms triumphantly. Her phone actually flew out of her hand she was so excited. "Oops!" She managed to catch it before it hit the floor, though it bounced between her hands a few times before she got a grip. "Uh… Sorry about that."

"No problem!" She could hear Ochako holding back laughter on the other side. "But anyway, I'll let you know when we'll be set. Sound good?"

"Yep! Oh man, this is gonna be great! Sleepovers _every_ night!" Mina had to stop herself from actually jumping for joy; she didn't want to wake the whole house up.

"Yeah… Again, really, thank you so much. I… I can't say it enough."

"Aw, it's nothing! Like I said, friends look out for each other, right?"

"Right… Anyway, it's late so I'm gonna get some sleep. Night!"

"Night!"

Mina put her phone back on the nightstand, letting out a content sigh as she lied back down. She squirmed under her covers, giggling like mad. This was really happening!

Knowing that Ochako was getting out of the crummy situation, knowing her whole family would be happier… It just made Mina feel good. The fact that it also meant her best friend was going to be here all the time was just a bonus.

But what a bonus it was! They could go shopping, or do each other's hair, bake cookies together… There was going to be so much to do!

She squealed with delight as she continued to think about all the fun they'd have together. At some point she managed to wear herself out as sleep finally overtook her. There was a smile on her face as she slipped off into dreamland.

Elsewhere, Ochako was also sound asleep. And she was smiling just as much as Mina.

* * *

And with that, the story can start to really kick off. How will Ochako adapt to her new life? Find out next time.

And yes, this still totally is a ship story. Just don't want to rush right into it.


	4. Move-In Day

The following week was rather hectic for Ochako. She and her family had multiple conversations with each other, Mina's family, and most importantly her current landlord. Getting out of the lease early was a bit tricky, but after a few days of back and forth an agreement was reached. Mr. and Mrs. Uraraka came by to take home belongings that their daughter wouldn't be needing after her move, leaving her already spare apartment even more barren.

By the time next Sunday rolled around, everything was set. Ochako was all packed and her apartment was clean as it could be. Locking that annoying door for the last time was quite cathartic, as was turning the key in. She still couldn't believe all this was happening, to be honest.

"I'm moving…" It was really starting to set in as she waited with her bags for Mina. The pink girl had insisted on helping her transport her things, even if Ochako could (probably) handle carrying everything herself. She didn't have much, after all.

This day had been on her mind all week. It had been extra difficult to focus on class she was so anxious about it, and she hadn't been able to sleep well the last few nights. She was excited, of course, but also quite nervous; this would be a whole new environment for her. Sure, she knew the Ashidos pretty well at this point, but there was a difference between spending a few hours at their house and _living_ there.

On top of that, there was that part of her that felt guilty about all this. Yes this was going to make things easier for both her and her parents, but at the expense of her friend's family. They insisted it wasn't any trouble, but that didn't stop the poor girl from feeling bad. She'd have to make sure she didn't take advantage of their hospitality too much.

Still, that didn't stop her from thinking about what life would be like at her new home. A soft bed, good food, hot showers, places she could actually sit comfortably… So many basic things she simply didn't have before. She could actually look forward to going home at the end of the school day now.

But more than all that was the fact that she'd be seeing Mina that much more. Just knowing how much more time she'd get to spend with her best friend made Ochako glow with happiness.

Said best friend showed up before long. The two set off, and before long they had arrived at the Ashido household. It was a moderately sized 2-story building, fairly standard looking for the neighborhood it was in. The front yard had a few statues and ornaments here and there, as well as a couple toys and sports stuff that had been left out. The two girls walked up to the front door. As Mina opened it, Ochako looked down at the mat she was standing on.

It read "Home sweet home!"

She had obviously seen this mat several times before, but looking at it now made her chest swell a bit. Again the reality of her situation set in.

This was _her_ home now. At least for a while.

Taking a deep breath, she followed Mina inside.

As the two girls took off their shoes, Ochako looked around the foyer slowly. She'd been here plenty of times but, much like the doormat, she was seeing it all in a different light.

"Mom! Dad! We're here!" Mina called out as they walked out of the foyer and into the kitchen. Ochako continued to take in her surroundings more. The kitchen was a decent size, obviously much larger than her apartment's. To the left was the kitchen proper; a large fridge, a sink, oven, and dishwasher all built into a single counter, and an island. Entrances to the dining room, a bathroom, and the garage were on that side was well. To the right was open space where the kitchen table sat. From that side one could enter the family room where the couches, chairs, and TV were set up.

Sitting in this room was one Mrs. Aki Ashido. The woman was getting up from one of the chairs as she set down a book she had been reading, smiling warmly as she spotted the two girls.

"I wasn't expecting you back so soon," she said to her daughter before turning her attention to Ochako. "It's wonderful to see you Urara-

"Thank you!" Ochako cut the woman off as she exclaimed loudly, bowing respectfully. "Th-Thank you so much for letting me stay here! I… I'll try not to be too much trouble and-Oh!"

Mrs. Ashido had simply walked up and hugged Ochako mid-sentence.

"Oh hush. We're more than happy to have you." Mina did get her affectionate nature from someone, after all. Ochako simply accepted the hug. "Honestly, Mina had you over so much you might as well have been living here." The mother chuckled as she released her daughter's friend.

"Uh, heh… I-I guess." Ochako smiled sheepishly; she _had_ been here a lot. "Still…" Her smile dropped. "I'll try not to be here any longer than I need to."

"You can stay as long as you like. Within reason," Mrs. Ashido added with a wink. Her face then grew uncharacteristically serious as she put a hand on her hip. "Honestly, I'm quite appalled by your school's behavior. You should have never been in the situation you were in." She did _not_ sound happy. "They can afford all those fake cities and robots but can't help their students with living arrangements?"

"Yeah, it's dumb right!?" Mina spoke up, equally annoyed-sounding. Ochako simply looked down, not sure what to say. She had definitely thought about that more than a few times herself.

"Yes, Mina was quite vocal about the whole thing. You should have heard how excited she was when she came up with the idea to have you move in." Aki smirked. "We could hardly understand her she was talking so fast."

"M-Mom…" Ochako looked at Mina, who was blushing slightly.

"What? It was very sweet of you," Mrs. Ashido teased. She then turned back to Ochako. "Now, why don't you go get yourself situated. Mina will help, I'm sure." Her daughter nodded to confirm.

"Alright… Again, um, th-thank you for all this. Really, I can't say it enough."

"As I said, it's nothing. Besides, I'm not the one you should be thanking." She turned back to her daughter with a grin. Ochako looked at her too as she shrugged.

"…Just wanted to help." Mina looked at Ochako as she spoke, a small smile on her face. Perhaps it was all the attention, but she had a slight blush going. Ochako felt a bit warm in the face herself, likely for similar reasons.

"Honestly, you two…" Aki chuckled. "Makoto and his friends could learn a thing or two."

"Oh, hey." Mina snapped out of her little trance. "Where is he anyway? Or dad?"

"Your father went out to get groceries. Makoto's upstairs in his room."

"Gotcha. Well, come on Ocha! Let's get this stuff put away." Mina headed back toward the foyer towards the stairs. Ochako gave one last nod at Mrs. Ashido before following her.

* * *

"Alright, that's everything."

Unpacking didn't take very long. Aside from clothing and personal hygiene items, Ochako didn't really have much to put away.

The guest room was a pretty good size. It had a double bed with plain but comfortable sheets, a nightstand, a desk with a large mirror, and a closet. There was an overhead lamp built into the ceiling as well as a smaller one on the nightstand.

"Alright! You are now officially moved in!" Mina cheered excitedly as she held a hand up towards her friend. Ochako high-fived her, causing her to throw both her hands up above her head "Woohoo!"

The other girl giggled, amused by Mina's enthusiasm. She was obviously excited too, but she was also still a bit overwhelmed.

"I've probably said this a million times now, but… Thank you." Ochako sat on the foot of the bed as she spoke.

"And I've said like, a billion times, you don't have to." Mina plopped down beside her, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Helping out's just what heroes do."

"I know, but still." Ochako found herself moving a bit closer to Mina, finding a bit of comfort in her arm being around her. The pink girl was a very warm person both emotionally and physically. "Also, what your mom was saying about you…" She felt Mina shuffle a bit.

"Oh, that. Um, well…" Her slight reluctance suddenly went away. "Of course I was excited! It wasn't fair you and your folks were in that stupid situation in the first place! Plus I'd been trying to come up with something, like, all day!" She paused, calming down slightly. "I was just happy I figured out how to help my best friend out, you know?"

"…Yeah." Ochako couldn't help but blush hearing that little outburst. Mina had been really determined to help her out, and not out of pity or anything like that. Just because, well, she cared. A lot. That really meant a lot. "I'm lucky I got you for a bestie, Mina." The pinkette giggled, resting her head against her friend's.

"Same to you, Ocha." The brunette felt a warm, fuzzy sensation well up in her. Mina was really good at making her feel good; her positivity was rather contagious.

She also felt something else. Something small and fleeting she swore she'd never experienced before bubbling in her chest. Before she could even begin to wonder what it was though, she caught sight of something strange.

The bedroom door was open ever so slightly, and through the crack Ochako was able to see a small face watching her intently. As their eyes met, it suddenly darted away.

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion before quickly realizing what she had seen.

"…Makoto?"

"What?" Mina let go of Ochako, confused for a split second. Her friend pointed at the door. "…Wait." It took only a second or two or her to put it together. "Hey!" Suddenly getting up, she marched over to the door and flung it open.

"Ah!" A small voice cried out as Makoto Ashido jumped back a bit.

"The heck are you doing!?" Mina demanded, folding her arms.

"N-Nothin'," the smaller boy stammered, avoiding Mina's gaze. Ochako had stood up at this point and walked over. As she did, Makoto looked up at her.

"Um… Hi," Ochako greeted. He didn't say anything back, just kept staring. "Um, I'm sure you know but I'm going to be staying here for a while, and…"

The horned boy suddenly turned around and ran off.

"Hey!" Mina made to go after him. "Get back here you little… Ugh." Deciding it wasn't worth it, she turned back to Ochako as her little brother got to his room and shut the door.

"What was that…?" The gravity girl was more confused than anything. While she wasn't friends with Makoto or anything, they tended to get along well enough whenever she was here. At least when he wasn't being obnoxious.

Mina sighed.

"He's… Not super thrilled about you living here, honestly." She paused. "I mean, it's not that he dislikes you or anything. He just thinks it's unfair mom and dad won't let one of his friends move in too."

"Oh." Something told Ochako the 12-year-old didn't quite understand just _why_ she had moved in.

"Probably part of why he was snooping." Mina shook her head. "Whatever… Anyway, what did you want to do? We got like an hour or two before dinner."

Ochako look back at the bed.

"Actually, if it's alright with you I kinda wanted a bit of time to relax." She turned to Mina again. "I'm… Still kind of taking in the fact that I'm actually here, you know?" Her friend nodded.

"I getcha. Well, I'll probably… Ugh, right, I still have to do that assignment." She rolled her eyes as she groaned to herself. "Yeah I guess I'll start that. You take however long you need, alright?"

With that Mina left the room. Ochako shut the door as she did, then walked over and lied down on her bed. She stared at the ceiling, sighing loudly.

It was a comfortable bed, one she had slept on a few times before. And, well, it was more or less hers now. For a while at least. This whole room was hers.

She could still feel it. That sense of being a burden. That part of her that said she shouldn't be here. Try as she might, it just wasn't something she could easily shake off.

Ignoring it for the moment, the girl instead focused on trying to just relax. To accept that this was her home for the next while, and that she was in fact welcomed and wanted here.

* * *

About a half hour later, Ochako stepped out of her room. After taking a little time to reflect, she felt considerably more comfortable with her situation now. Still had some lingering worries, but those weren't going to go away anytime soon.

Mina's room was right next to hers. Walking over to the decorated door (it was covered in various posters and stickers of all sorts of random things), Ochako knocked few times. When nobody answered, she knocked again.

"DANG IT!" A voice shouted out suddenly from downstairs. Mina's voice, to be precise. A little startled by the outburst, Ochako made for the stairs. She passed by the bathroom, a hall closet, the master bedroom, and Makoto's room (his door was also covered in stuff, mostly warnings like "no girls allowed") before getting to them.

As she reached the bottom, she heard more noises.

"Yes! I'm ahead! Eat my dust, pip-WHAT!?" Mina cried out from the family room, followed by laughter from what sounded like Makoto. The sound of sticks and buttons clicking and cars driving tipped Ochako off to what was going on. Stepping into the family room, the brunette found Mina and Makoto on the couch in the midst of playing some racing videogame. Based on the noises she had heard and the fact that the blue car was ahead of the pink one, Ochako concluded that the younger Ashido was winning quite handily.

"Come on come on come on- Nonononoooooo!" Watching the screen, it looked like Mina had tried to pull off some kind of shortcut on the track only to mess it up and fall off the side. Her car was placed back on the track as she fell, but it had put her even further behind.

Videogames certainly weren't one of Mina's main hobbies, though she did dabble in them occasionally. They seemed to be more Makoto's wheelhouse. Ochako had played with them a few times and he pretty much always won, though Mina could consistently beat him at dancing games.

This time was no different.

"HA!" The horned boy laughed as he crossed the finish line, standing up and doing a little victory dance. "That's what, 4-0 now?"

"Oh shut it, you stupid-

"Mina." Mrs. Ashido was sitting a chair in the corner of the room, not even looking up from her book as she spoke up.

"…We're going again."

"Sure, I can whoop your butt all day!"

Ochako blinked. They'd been playing that long? Didn't Mina say she was going to do homework?

Oh, hey Ocha!" Mina had finally noticed her friend. "You all good now?"

"Yeah, fine."

"Great! Wanna play? Could use your help beating this little twerp." Makoto scoffed.

"I'll take you both on." He sounded pretty sure of himself. Though he had plenty of reason to; Ochako had never touched this particular game before. Still, it looked fun enough.

"Sure," she said, sitting down between them. In the back of her mind a tiny voice was shouting "How much electricity is this using?". She shook her head and ignored it; she didn't need to worry about that now.

The first few races were rough. Ochako needed to learn the controls and a get a feel for the track they were on, which wasn't easy. She hardly played these sorts of things after all.

She and Mina tried to team up against Makoto, either by running him off the road or using the items the game gave you to attack other players with. Unfortunately it wasn't enough, and a lot of times they actually wound up doing more damage to each other.

"Ocha! You're supposed to hit _him_ not _me_!"

"Ah! Sorry!"

Their adversary was laughing up a storm.

"Oh crap look out!"

"Mina why!?" Ochako cried as she was accidentally sent tumbling off the track.

"Sorry!"

Every loss was punctuated with Makoto gloating, and every time Ochako felt *something* well up inside her. Perhaps it was some of her experiences at U.A., but the more she played the more determined she was to win.

"Augh! This is hopeless!" Mina cried in lament as they lost another race. 9-0. "Alright, maybe we should just do something-

"No way!" Ochako shouted with fire in her voice. "We're going again!" The two Ashido siblings were a bit taken aback by her sudden shift in demeanor as she pointed dramatically at Makoto. "You _are_ going down this time!" Ochako didn't realize it, but she was giving off the same aura she had been just before the Sports Festival.

"…Uh… Alright." Mina looked at her brother. "Again?" For a brief second Makoto looked a bit worried, but it quickly got replaced with a cocky grin.

"Sure, let's make it 10 wins!"

The race started up again. This time Ochako decided she wouldn't be trying to work with Mina. No, she was here to race her best and _win_.

She got the boost at the start for the first time ever and managed to keep an alright pace with the others. She stuck to the short walls and hit every speed pad; she knew the track by now. There was bickering around her, but she tuned it out as she retained complete focus.

A few hiccups occurred as the race went on. Makoto was a worthy opponent and knew every dirty little trick. He began to pull ahead, increasing Ochako's determination.

It was now the final stretch of the last lap. Mina had fallen considerably behind but somehow Ochako was still right on Makoto's tail.

"Woah." Mina actually just stopped driving as she watched the other racers' screens. "Come on, get him!"

Ochako watched as her opponent made for the last shortcut. Shoot, now she had to try for it too if she wanted to have a chance.

Gritting her teeth, the novice turned sharply onto the little side path. It was a risky move where a player's car could easily get stuck on a wall or fall off, as Mina had when she tried to take this one. The two cars were neck and neck on the narrow bridge crossing the chasm that was the shortcut.

Suddenly, Ochako noticed something. Makoto's car jerked slightly, angling towards her a bit. She quickly recognized he was trying to ram into her (she had tried it several times herself), and if he knocked her off the edge here it was all over.

But as she had learned, it was a very risky move sometimes. She pumped the breaks.

…Causing the other car to miss her completely and go plummeting off the side.

"WHAT!?"Makoto screamed, actually standing up a bit.

"YES!" Mina pumped a fist. "Bring it home, girl!"

Ochako drove on, Makoto's car appearing significantly behind as it was dropped back onto the track. He desperately tried to gain the lead again but it was no use.

"HOO-AAH!" The victor literally tossed her controller in the air (which then floated in place) as she leapt to her food. "WHO'S THE BEST!? ME!" She began shadow boxing for some reason.

"NO WAY!" Makoto had also stood, positively fuming. "Y-YOU CHEATED!"

"No she didn't." Mina sat, looking as smug as possible.

"W-WELL I-I JUST LET YOU WIN!" Ochako didn't even seem to hear him as she continued celebrating in her oddly aggressive state.

"Suuuuuure. Come on, don't be a sore loser." It didn't seem to matter to any of them that Makoto had won the first nine games. "Or are you just mad a _girl_ beat you?"

"SH-SHUT UP!" Whether Makoto's face was red from anger or embarrassment was up for debate. "Stupid… Don't even _like_ this dumb game…" He mumbled.

"Alright, alright, settle down you three." It was Mrs. Ashido's voice that snapped Ochako out of her trance. Turning, she saw the woman looking at the three of them with a bemused expression. "But I'm glad to see you already fitting in, Uraraka."

Ochako's face instantly turned scarlet as she sat back down, making herself look as small as possible. Oh god, what had just gotten into her? It was a just a silly little game.

"That was _awesome_." Mina whispered to her, grinning from ear to ear. "Haven't seen you get that worked up in a while."

"S-stop it." The embarrassed girl felt like she was about to catch on fire.

"Rematch!" Makoto demanded as Mrs. Ashido got up and left towards the bathroom. "Rematch rematch rematch rematch!" Ochako had no interest in playing more, however.

"I… I think I'm good for now."

"No way! Rematch!"

"Dude, she said no. She's retiring champion." Mina was milking this for all it was worth. "You're just not worth her time."

"Grr… Shut up!" His attention was now on his sister.

"Besides, I thought you didn't like this dumb game?"

"Pinky."

"Shrimp."

"Airhead."

"Numbskull."

The two devolved into simple name calling, rattling them off like they'd rehearsed it all before. As Ochako debated breaking it up, she heard some commotion in the kitchen. Turning her head, she saw a large man had entered holding several bags. Between her desire to escape this situation, her underlying guilt at just for being here, and her natural desire to help out she got up and walked over.

"Hi Mr. Ashido," she greeted Mina's father, Daiki, quietly. The burly man smiled as he turned to her.

"Uraraka! Aki told me you were all settled in. Put 'er there," he offered a hand, which she grabbed and shook. "Settling in ok?"

"Mostly. It's… Defintely still a bit to used to." She paused. "Thank you, by the way. I… I know this is probably inconvenient for you all…"

"Nonsense! We're glad to have you." It was more or less the same conversation she had with Mrs. Ashido, but Ochako still felt she needed to say it.

"Well, um… Do you need help putting this away?" She gestured to the several bags of food he had brought home. The man looked at her for a moment, laughing once as Mrs. Ashido walked in.

"Aki, you hear that? Not even a day and she's already offering to help with chores."

"Really? Well, I think I know a couple kids who could learn a thing or two from her," she said with a smirk, looking towards the family room. Ochako turned to see the two siblings had gotten physical; Mina had Makoto in a headlock as he tugged on a bit of her pair, squirming in her grasp. She was trying to release his grip on her curls as he was… Attempting to bite her arm?

"Hey!" Mr Ashido shouted, sounding a bit more serious. "Knock it off, you two." They almost immediately released each other.

"Yes dad," they said in unison.

"Now, how 'bout you two help us out over here. And then we can decide on dinner."

* * *

Ochako munched on her dinner as food passed around the table. Dinner with the Ashidos was always something of a treat for her; Mina's parents were pretty darn good cooks, and there was always fun conversation going. This time though, she felt a little out of it.

How much had this meal cost them to make? How much would be appropriate for her to take? Probably not much, right? But it was really good, and she was really hungry… But what if she took too much and there wasn't enough for the others?

"So, Ochako," the gravity girl was pulled from her thoughts as Mrs. Ashido spoke up. "Mina tells us you've been considering taking martial arts?"

"Uh, yeah. That's right." Ochako nodded. "I mean, after the Sports Festival I just feel like I need to make some changes, you know?"

Ochako had gone quite far in the competition, yes, but much of that was reliance on others. And when she got to that fight with Bakugou, well…

She appreciated that he didn't hold back. How else would she know where she stood? What she needed to improve? Like how she couldn't simply rely on hitting someone with her Quirk or using it for a surprise attack.

"That explosion guy was kinda scary," Makoto said as he moved some food around his plate slowly. "Mina talks about him a lot, is he really that mean?"

"Yes," Mina answered curtly.

"I was talking to her, stupid."

"Makoto." Mrs. Ashido voice was stern.

"…Sorry." The young boy hung his head a bit.

"Um, Bakugou is…" Ochako paused as she started to answer his question. "Complicated, I think."

"No he isn't," Mina interrupted as she stabbed into a piece of her dinner with a fork, waving it around as she spoke to punctuate. "He's a complete assssssssss….iiiiinine person." She caught herself as both her parents gave her a look. "Like, there's nothing complicated about it. Reminds me of Endeavor, honestly. Bet he's a big fan."

"Well, maybe. I mean, he's definitely… Difficult to be around." Ochako was trying really hard not to bad-mouth a classmate behind his back.

"He certainly gave off that impression," Mr. Ashido stated matter-of-factly. "Hardly the appropriate attitude for a hero if you ask me."

"Well it is only his first year at U.A., hopefully they can straighten him out," Mrs. Ashido reminded him.

"Pfft. Yeah right," Mina muttered. "I mean, he's strong. Like, super strong. Just wish he wasn't so… Ugh."

"Yes, well anyways… Martial arts you say?" Mina's mother turned to Ochako.

"Yeah. Like I said, that fight with Bakugou kinda opened my eyes. My Quirk only works through touch so I'll need to get close to villains, and I can't always rely on it. Figure I should learn how to actually fight a little."

"Sounds smart," Mr. Ashido commented. "Sounds like you got a good head on your shoulders."

"Yeah, all Mina did was complain about how 'unfair' her fight was," Makoto made air quotes as he said "unfair".

"That was totally different from her! What was I supposed to do, shine a flashlight? Only reason Bakugou beat Tokoyami is he had like, the perfect Quirk to counter his." Mina folded her arms, pouting a bit. "So not fair…"

"Mina, Excuses are the nails-

"That built the house of failure, yeah dad I know." She sighed. "Sorry, I'm just whining."

"Hi 'just whining', I'm dad."

Mina leaned her head back, rolling her eyes at the awful joke. Though Ochako could see the hint of a smirk. Daiki, meanwhile, was grinning widely. He was quite fond of his intentionally bad jokes ("Not bad jokes, dad jokes" he'd say).

Dinner continued like this for a bit longer. Ochako continued to resist the urge to take too much food, not wanting to look ungrateful. Unfortunately, someone seemed to notice.

"Ocha, you sure you don't want more?" Mina asked. "Like, you barely had any."

"Oh no, I'm fine! Just wasn't that hungry I guess," Ochako lied. Her friend gave her a hard look. She didn't seem fooled.

"Please, help yourself if you want more," Mrs. Ashido insisted. Seems she had noticed too. Dang it, why were these people so observant?

"I'm fine, really." No, she was still definitely a bit hungry. But she was used to that.

"Ocha, please. I know what you're doing-

"I'm not 'doing' anything!" She said it just a bit louder than she wanted to, and suddenly all eyes were on her.

Shoot.

Looking around rapidly, the brunette tried to think of something.

"Uraraka… Ochako." Mrs. Ashido spoke softly. "What's bothering you?"

"Noth…" The brunette girl trailed off, knowing this was pointless. Besides, she needed to get this off her chest while everyone was here. "I… I just don't want to, you know, take advantage of you guys. Like… You've taken me in and already given me so much, I just feel like-

"Ochako,' the woman repeated, holding up a hand. "Please. If you're living under our roof, you're going to treat you like one of our own."

"That's right," her husband chimed in. "Your concern for us is appreciated, but we care much more about your wellbeing than our wallets," he said with a small laugh.

"We're not doing this out of some obligation." His wife smiled softly. "We do want you here, Ochako."

"Yeah, I still want a rematch!" Makoto exclaimed, though it seemed less out of anger and more admiration at this point. "Nobody's ever beaten me before!" Mina simply beamed at her; she knew she didn't have to say how much she loved having her best friend here.

The combined strength of the entire Ashido family's kindness finally seemed to push those annoying thoughts of out Ochako's head. She had heard this sort of thing from most of them throughout the day, but this time it really seemed to hit home.

She thought of her own parents. They too expressed their desire for her to be happy, and how that mattered to them more than anything. The problem was she felt the same about them. And she certainly cared about the well-being of the Ashidos, but…

Well, the fact was they could handle a few more expenses better than her family could. Not a fun thing to admit, but it was just the truth.

…For now. One day Ochako would become a pro, and then she'd be able to give her family a life like this. There would be no need for all these weird thoughts about money and cost.

And really, she couldn't be a good hero on an empty stomach.

"…Thank you." She sniffled slightly, wiping her eye. "I, uh, I know I've said that way too much today, but still." There was a slightly awkward pause. "Uh, could I please get some more rice and pork?"

* * *

Ochako and Mina laughed heartily as the comedian finished his punchline.

The two girls were dressed in their pajamas, lying together under the covers in Mina's room. A laptop sat on their, well, laps as they watched a stand-up comedy special on it.

Dinner had been a few hours ago and it was nearly time for bed, but the two friends wanted to watch this together before that.

Ochako yawned. She was quite tired and quite full. It had honestly been awhile since she hadn't been hungry at this hour. Between a full belly, warm blankets, and mostly dark room, her eyes were starting to droop. Just as well; the special was ending now. Mina shut her laptop.

"Alright…" She paused to let out a soft yawn that ended in a high-pitched squeak. "Bed time…"

Ochako groaned slightly. She didn't really want to get up, even if it was like a 10 second walk back to her own room. The temptation was there to ask to just spend the night with Mina, but…

…

But what?

"Hey Mina?" Really, there was no good reason she couldn't. They'd done it once before, after all.

"Hn? The pink girl rolled over to look at her, not wanting to get up herself.

"…Mind if I stay here tonight?" It shouldn't have felt weird to ask, yet for some reason she hesitated a bit.

"Uh… I figured that's what we were doing." Mina smiled tiredly. "What, first night living here and we _weren't_ going to have a sleepover?" Ochako giggled.

"Well, wasn't sure with it being a school night."

"Pfft, so what? I'll make sure we wake up on time."

"Well alright. Cool." They had already brushed their teeth and everything, so there was no need to get up for anything else. The two made sure they were comfortable, Mina actually snuggled up against her friend. The action caused Ochako to involuntarily blush.

"Oh…" No reason why it bothered her, just being this close was a little unusual.

"What? Your comfy…" Mina murmured, burying her head in the crook of Ochako's neck. Well, she had always been a very affectionate person.

The brunette sort of hugged her bedmate, pulling her in closer. She had to admit, this _was_ quite comfy. Mina's warm body and soft silky pajamas felt rather nice.

"…Sorry about dinner, by the way." Ochako wasn't proud of her little outburst.

"Don't sweat it. We get you're still adjusting. Just… Don't worry about stuff like that. Treat yourself a bit, you know."

"I'll… Try." That was a very foreign concept to the impoverished girl. But tonight had certainly helped clear her head.

"Nice job kicking Makoto's ass by the way. Pipsqueak needed a lesson in humility."

"I… I'm not sure what came over me." Mina giggled.

"Well, it was fun to watch. You should do that more, it's cute." Again, Ochako blushed. The two called each other stuff like "cute" and "pretty" a lot, but it could still embarrass her from time to time. Plus the whole racing situation was… Silly, to say the least.

"… He's going to keep asking for a rematch, isn't he."

"Yep."

"Great…" She yawned again, causing Mina to yawn in turn. "Alright, think it's time to sleep."

'Yeah… Night."

The whole time they spoke, Ochako hadn't really seen Mina. The pinkette was still buried in her shoulder, speaking in a sort of muffled voice. As the two girls continued to lie there cuddling, a familiar sensation returned. That small, tiny weird feeling Ochako had gotten earlier when they were in her room.

Another yawn, though, and she already forgot about it. A few minutes later and she was snoring away.

* * *

Well it's finally here. Sorry this took so much longer than the others, but life is life. Just a fun little establishing chapter showing us the dynamic between Ochako and the family and her adjusting to her new life, which is why it was all her perspective. Plus, something perhaps growing between our two leads?

Don't know for sure when the next one will be, but I hope you enjoyed.


	5. Funny Thoughts

"Come on, come on! We gotta go!"

"I'm going I'm going!"

Mina anxiously waited by the front door, backpack on as she bounced on the balls of her feet. She watched as Ochako scrambled out of the kitchen in a frenzy, throwing on her shoes as she held a slice of toast in her mouth. Her friend checked the time on her home, grimacing.

"God, we're gonna be so late…!"

It had been a hectic Monday morning in the Ashido household. It started off normal enough; Mina had woken up to her alarm, grumbled about it being Monday, and went about her routine. Under ordinary circumstances she would have had more than enough time to get ready and get to school, but there was a complication this morning: Ochako.

The house's new tenant had also woken up alongside Mina when her alarm went off, but unlike the pink girl she didn't immediately get up. She simply checked the time, mumbled something about "5 more minutes", and rolled back over. Mina decided to let her friend sleep, figuring she had her own alarm and everything.

Mistake.

What the acid girl hadn't realized was that Ochako had set her own alarm to go off much, much later. Apparently, the brunette was used to getting up some 15 minutes before she left for school. Maybe that worked at her old place where she was living alone, but here? Not so much.

By the time Mina realized there was an issue, it was too late. Ochako woke up like everything was fine, and went to shower. Unfortunately, someeone else – Makoto – was using the shower so she had to wait. On top of that, she was in a new environment and couldn't just autopilot her routine while half-asleep. Before long she was running around the house in a panic as she desperately tried to get ready in time.

Mina could have left without her, of course, but she wasn't about to just abandon her friend like that. And so here she was, trying to stay calm as she waited.

"Okay, ready? Good. Come on!" She didn't even wait for Ochako to answer before sprinting out the door. Her friend followed suit, dashing alongside her with her toast still dangling from her mouth (she hadn't had time to actually eat). They'd have to run the whole way if they wanted any chance of making it on time, and even then, they'd have to get lucky with the train.

Which they in fact did. The pair arrived at the station seconds before their train departed, narrowly getting inside just as the doors started to close.

"Phew… Whoo… Oh man…" Mina leaned against a pole as she gripped a handhold, slightly out of breath from the run.

"We… Made… It…" Ochako, by contrast, had collapsed onto a seat as she gasped for air, head leaned back as her arms hung limp as her sides. She held a half-eaten slice of toast in one of her hands.

As the two girls caught their breath, they looked at each other for a moment. They suddenly started laughing as the ridiculousness of the morning caught up to them.

"Good workout, huh?" Mina joke as she moved, sitting down next to Ochako.

"Yeah… God, I really need to get in better shape." While the gravity girl was obviously athletic enough to both get into U.A. and place well in the Sports Festival, she was still a bit less active than most of her class. Hanging around someone like Mina so much had begun to make that even more apparent; that run had barely winded her.

"Maybe we can start working out together?" Mina suggested. "I was probably going to after school today, so if you want to join you can."

"Oh, that could be fun!" Having someone else there would definitely help keep Ochako motivated.

"Great!"

A few seconds passed before Ochako sighed.

"…Sorry, by the way."

"Huh? For what?" Mina looked at her.

"You know, for making us leave late." The brunette felt more than a little foolish about this whole thing. Why didn't she realize she'd probably have to adjust her routine? And now between sleeping in and looking half-dead from that sprint, she just looked lazy.

"Aw, don't worry about it." Mina clapped her on the shoulder, grinning. "Just gotta wake up earlier from now on, right?" Ochako couldn't help but smile too; the pinkette's joy was always so infectious. She had a really nice smile…

"Yeah, I guess."

"And hey, so what if we're late once? I'm sure Mr. Aizawa will understand if we just explain."

"I hope so… He can be kind of a…" What was a nice word for it?

"Hard-ass?" Mina finished?

"I-I wasn't going to say that…" Though it _was_ true.

"Yeah, well-CRAP!" Ochako jumped as her friend suddenly shouted, sitting up straight.

"Wh-What is it?" Mina quickly took off her backpack, opening it up as she fished through it.

"Crap crap crap crap crap…" She muttered. Thinking about teachers had suddenly made her realize something.

"Mina, what's wrong?"

"I _completely_ forgot to do that math assignment Ectoplasm gave us!" She cried, trying to find said assignment as she checked a folder.

Ugh, what was the matter with her? She had specifically set aside an hour or so to work on this thing, then completely forgotten about it. Playing games with Makoto and Ochako had just taken up so much time…

"Shoot, I'm never going to… Ugh!" She was now looking over the actual homework, and there was no way she'd be able to get this done before class.

Ochako removed her own backpack and opened it up. She knew she probably shouldn't do this, but she didn't want to just leave her friend high and dry like this.

"Here," she said, handing Mina a sheet of paper. "Just, uh, just don't make it look exactly the same." Her friend looked at the paper in surprise, then back at Ochako.

"Oh Ocha, no… You don't have to-

"It's fine, really. What are friends for, right?"

"But I don't want you to get in trouble…" Mina didn't feel good copying a friend's homework like this. Well okay, she didn't care about that much. But she _did_ care about what would happen if their teacher picked up on it.

"Like I said, just… Change some stuff, okay?" The pink girl bit her lip before eventually nodding.

"Alright. Thanks, really. You're a lifesaver." She began scribbling down answers, finishing just before the train arrived at their stop.

"Oh man…" Ochako grumbled, realizing they'd have to run again.

"Race you there!"

* * *

School came and went. The two girls barely managed to make it to class in time, albeit completely out of breath. Mr. Aizawa had questioned them after their first class, with Ochako attempting to explain the somewhat complicated situation that led to their near-tardiness.

" _I was informed of an address change," the tired teacher said, looking over some paperwork. "Well, you were still technically on time… Just try not to cut it so close in the future, alright?" While he was initially annoyed with their dramatic entrance this morning, he seemed to accept their explanation. That or he just didn't care much._

" _We won't, sir!" Ochako and Mina exclaimed in unison, bowing._

Considering how unfair their homeroom teacher could be about things, the girls were happy to know he was letting them off.

At lunch they decided to tell their friends about Ochako's new living arrangements. They didn't give all the details about _why_ she had moved in with Mina, but at least explained that it was to circumvent unnecessary expenses.

" _It's just smart, really," Mina said as she finished speaking._

" _That does make sense, ribbit." Tsuyu, being Tsuyu, quickly saw the logic in it._

" _Kind of lame the school didn't offer some kind of housing," Kirishima mused. Meanwhile, Mineta stared at the two girls as gears started turning in his head._

" _Uh, your family wouldn't happen to be taking anyone else, would they? Because, um, I'm also living on my own and-_

" _Dude, no you don't! I've been to your house!" Kaminari interrupted._

" _Ssh!" The purple midget shoved a hand over his partner in crime's mouth as Ochako and Mina both rolled their eyes._

Ochako shut her locker door, turning to Mina.

"Alright, all set. Um… You mind if I just follow your routine?" With classes over for the day, the pair had gone to the school gym to work out. Ochako figured whatever her athletic friend had planned would be a good model to follow.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Sure," Mina answered as she stretched a bit. They had both changed into their workout clothes, with Mina wearing a black sports bra and neon green short shorts that hugged her snuggly. Ochako meanwhile had a yellow t-shirt on and more loose-fitting gym shorts. "You sure you can handle it?" Mina asked in a teasing voice, a smirk on her face.

"H-Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Ochako didn't exactly like that tone.

"Oh, nothing…" The mischievous girl then reached out and poked her friend's somewhat squishy tummy. "Boop!"

"AH!" The sudden gesture made Ochako cry out as her cheeks turned red. "H-Hey!" Mina giggled playfully, pleased with the reaction.

Her friend understood what she was getting at. Again, there was a very clear difference in their physical abilities. Mina's body was built, toned, muscular, and Ochako's… Well, she wasn't _fat or_ anything, but she was definitely a little soft in some areas. Mina's exercise routine would no doubt be incredibly demanding, but that was okay. The Sports Festival had shown her that she had a lot of catching up to do to some of her peers, and she wasn't going to get there taking the easy route.

…Still, Mina didn't have to be so… Mina about it.

"V-Very funny," the brunette huffed, resting a hand on her stomach where she was poked as she puffed out her cheeks. If it had been anyone else, she might have actually been offended. But with Mina she was able to (mostly) shrug it off, knowing it was all in good fun.

"Really though, you sure? I'm not gonna let you slack off." The pink girl got serious for a moment. Ochako nodded. "Good! Figured, just wanted to be sure." Mina knew Ochako wasn't one to back down from a challenge (she still fondly remembered how… Excited… She got when they were all first talking about the Sports Festival).

The two left the locker room as Ochako started to psyche herself up. She could do this, she could do this!

She couldn't do this!

"Goood, my legs are gonna fall off!" Ochako whined as she struggled against the leg press. She was coated in sweat as her whole body burned; Mina had meant what she said about not slacking off.

"Come on, three more!" The horned girl had been equal parts cheerleader and drill instructor during the last hour or so. "Let's go missy! I thought you said you could handle this!"

"Ng…" Ochako needed to learn not to be so stubborn about these things. Holy crap this hurt so much… Why did she agree to this?

She clenched her teeth as she pushed against the machine as much as she could, trying to get a rep done. Unfortunately her strength was all but drained, and she only made it about halfway before losing steam. The press pushed back, resetting itself.

"Can't… Do it…" She gasped for breath as she looked up at Mina.

"Yes you can! Come on, girl, this is the last set!" Her instructor shouted, pumping a fist for emphasis. She actually looked pretty tired herself, her body dripping with perspiration as she breathed a bit heavily. She'd been following the exact same routine Ochako had, after all.

The spent girl stared her up and down. In her current state, one could really make out just how fit she really was. Her abs that practically glistened from the light reflecting off her sweat, her thighs that were as thick as they were buff, her deceptively muscular arms… An athlete in every sense of the word.

Ochako had always admired Mina's figure, but she'd never been as awestruck by it as she was now. It was downright inspiring to look at. She was downright beautiful.

Suddenly, the gravity girl felt a surge of energy as she caught a second wind. Before she knew it, she had done one, two, three more reps and finished the set.

"WHOO!" Mina cried as the other girl got to her feet. "Told you!" She double high-fived Ochako, who was now beaming with pride.

"See? It was nothing." That was a complete lie, of course; every muscle in her body was screaming in pain right now.

"Riiiiight." Mina rolled her eyes. "Alright, my turn! Then we'll be all set for the day."

Oh thank god.

* * *

Ochako stepped into the shower, sighing joyfully as she did. The hot water hitting her aching body felt simply wonderful.

She and Mina had just returned home from the gym and were getting cleaned up. After such a rigorous workout, this was exactly the sort of thing the sore girl needed.

"Mmmm…" She moaned softly to herself as she started to let her muscles relax. A small voice in her head was yelling at her to quit using so much hot water, to turn the temperature down and hurry up. She was wasting money!

Almost reflexively the girl moved to turn down the heat. She stopped herself as her hand rested on the shower handle. Her mind drifted back to the prior evening, and the conversation she had had with the Ashidos over dinner.

"…No." She murmured to herself, forcing that annoying little voice out and letting herself relax again. There was no need to think that sort of stuff anymore. Plus, it had been too long since she let herself just enjoyed a hot shower like this.

As she (slowly) began to soap, Ochako thought about the day. The chaotic morning, the workout from hell, and the feeling of coming back here after school instead of her old place. She was honestly still getting used to it, even if she was a lot more adjusted now than she was yesterday.

It was strange looking forward to going home after school again. There were actually things to do here, people she should spend time with. Dinner wasn't going to just be crummy leftovers from school. A bed to relax in. Just… So many little comforts that all added up to something so great.

This was the kind of life her parents deserved. Not even lavish or luxurious, just… Comfortable. Stable. Worry-free. She had only gotten the faintest taste of it, but it was enough to strengthen her drive to become a hero that much more.

"Yeah!" The brunette hyped herself up a bit too much and punched forward, wincing as her the pain in her muscles flared. "Ow ow ow…"

She may have overdone it today. As proud as she was of herself for keeping up with Mina, it wouldn't do her much good if she was too sore to move for the next few days. There was such a thing as working _too_ hard.

Just… She really wanted to show Mina that she could do it.

A familiar image of the pinkette appeared in her mind's eye. That moment Ochako had just about called it quits just before the end only to find the will to power through… Something about the sight of Mina just gave her the strength she needed. She couldn't get it out of her head for some reason. It was a vivid memory, too; Mina's figure had left quite an impression on her.

Why was that? Again, she had always admired her friend's body, but never so… Intensely as she had then. Was it because of how tired she had been at the time? Perhaps she saw it as something of a goal to reach?

Deciding it wasn't worth mulling over, the girl pushed those thoughts out of her head and went back to focusing on how good the hot water felt.

* * *

The evening went by without anything too unusual happening. After finishing their showers Ochako and Mina had dinner with the rest of the family before working on their assignments for that day (Mina was determined not to forget any this time). It was getting late by the time they finished, so they decided to wind down for the night and watch some TV before bed.

They sat together on the sofa as a sitcom played on the family room television. Everyone else had gone to bed for the night, leaving just the two of them alone.

Mina laughed heartily as a silly scene played out before the show cut to commercial.

"Man, this episode's great huh Ocha?" She asked between laughs. When her friend didn't respond, she turned to look at her. "Ocha? Oh!"

The brunette's head was leaned back against the couch, her arms resting in her lap as she snored softly. Mina stifled a laugh at the sight.

The poor girl had been tuckered out ever since they got home. That workout had really done a number on her.

"Probably shouldn't do that again, huh?" While she had gotten through it all, the fact that Ochako was this exhausted meant it was _probably_ a little too much for her at this point. Mina recalled how similar she had acted when she first really started training. Always going a bit too hard and winding up barely able to move after. As it turned out, not the best way to go about things.

Still, it was pretty cool to see Ochako do it all. Girl had a real fire inside, one of the many things Mina adored about her. Underneath that mild-mannered exterior was a real spunky girl.

"Smile!" The pink girl whispered as she snapped a photo of the sleeping girl. She was in a somewhat unflattering position, her mouth hanging open as a little drool dribbled down the side. Obviously Mina _had_ to get a picture. And a video of her snoring for good measure.

The troublemaker giggled as she recorded her friend. It was kind of adorable seeing her in this unladylike state. Well, more adorable than usual anyway.

That was definitely one of the first words that came to mind when Mina thought of her best friend. Everything about her, from her appearance to her voice to her personality just screamed "cutie". Something Mina was always sure to tell her, much to her embarrassment.

The horned girl suddenly realized she'd just been kinda staring at Ochako this whole time. A blush crept onto her face as she realized how weird that must have looked.

"Hey, Ocha." Mina poked her in the cheek once, deciding to get her up. "Ocha. Wake up."

"Mmm…" The brunette hadn't fallen into too deep of a sleep it seemed, as she stirred a bit as she grumbled. Her eyes slowly opened to see Mina strangely close to her.

"You clonked out on me there, girl!" She had a big Cheshire grin on her face as she patted her sleepy friend's cheek a couple times. "Think you better go up to your room."

"Mmm… Yeah, probably." Seemed she was too tired to be flustered about the whole thing. Standing up, she lazily shuffled her feet toward the doorway. "Night, Mina," she mumbled.

"Night!" The temptation to have another "sleepover" was there, but it was probably best for them to both just spend the night in their own rooms. Didn't want any repeats of this morning, after all.

Mina remained downstairs as she watched a bit more TV.

It was nice seeing Ochako so… Mellow. She'd been considerably better mood today than she had been in a while. Just all around happier and more relaxed.

Made her that much cuter, really.

"Gosh, what is with me tonight?" Another blush formed on Mina's face. She usually didn't think about Ochako like that _this_ much. "Probably should get to bed…" Flipping off the TV, she got up and headed upstairs.

* * *

Short update and admittedly a bit… Aimless. Just easing into the romance bit by bit, wasn't sure what to do here outside of that.


	6. Closure

"Come on Ocha, you got this!"

Mina's cheers were answered with silence as Ochako kept all her focus on the screen in front of her. She had a fire in her eyes, tongue hanging out of her mouth slightly as her car zoomed along the track. Beside her, Makoto had a similar intensity to him as he held his controller.

The two were locked in another heated virtual race, though this time there was no shouting or taunts. They were neck-and-neck as the finish line neared, neither one seeming to have a clear advantage. One second Ochako was in the lead, the next Makoto.

Ochako had been living with the Ashidos for a month now, and during that time something of a rivalry had formed between her and the young boy when it came to racing games. Her competitive nature combined with her odd talent for the genre made her a formidable opponent for Makoto, who enjoyed having someone who could keep up with him.

Mina, meanwhile, had started to enjoy just watching them go at it more than actually playing. Today was no different; she currently had Ochako sitting on her lap as she spectated, cheering her friend on as she casually braided her hair. The fact that the brunette could still race so well while her hair was being fiddled with showed how skilled she really was.

"Come on, come on…. YES!" Mina threw her arms up in joy as Ochako narrowly won. The other girl did the same as her opponent hung his head.

"That's 3-2… You win." While he still had a knack for being extremely obnoxious, the horned boy had learned to lose a bit more graciously by now.

They powered down the game as Makoto went off to do something else. The two girls, meanwhile, remained where they were as Mina continued to work on Ochako's hair. She was about two thirds of the way through making a short, braided ponytail.

"Gosh, your hair is like, so soft!" The stylist commented as she wove the brown hair. "That conditioner's working super good!"

"I know, right?" Ochako had acquired a few additional beauty products over the past month. It had taken some time for her to feel okay with spending money like that, but with her increased allowance now that her parents didn't need to cover an apartment (despite her protests, they insisted on giving her more spending money), she eventually began to loosen up just a bit. She still only bought things on sale or with coupons, of course.

It wasn't just hair care and makeup, though; Mina had insisted on new outfits as well. The pair had at one point gone on a bit of a shopping spree, spending hours trying on all sorts of things at the mall as they visited just about every store. It had been a bit painful spending as much as she had that day, but Ochako wound up coming home with several new additions to her wardrobe.

Thanks to Mina's influence, many of them were a bit more colorful and well… Less modest than her older stuff.

The pink girl was happy to see her friend be willing to wear stuff that showed off just a bit more of her. Ochako was a bit self-conscious about her body, and the fact that she was currently in low-riding jeans with a tight belly shirt showed some newfound confidence. And god _damn_ did she look good in that outfit.

A blush crept onto Mina's face at this last thought. "Hot" wasn't a word she'd often use to describe Ochako; "cute" was much more apt. But seeing her in stuff like this… Man. It was like perfect blend of both adjectives. It helped that the curvy brunette was putting on just a bit of muscle ever since they started working out a bunch together.

Mina had come to terms with her attraction to her friend about a week ago. There was no big moment that made her realize it or anything (though the mall helped; they had changed in the same fitting room several times), it was just something she had come to accept. Normally she'd be ecstatic about the prospect of having a crush, but in this case she was actually kind of worried.

She and Ochako shared a special bond. They were best friends and then some. Acting on these fleeting feelings could jeopardize that, especially since they were living together. What if Mina confessed but Ochako didn't feel the same? They might remain friends, but could they continue living together? Wouldn't that get awkward as hell?

Mina didn't want Ochako to have to leave because of her. Better to keep these feelings secret instead, as difficult as that would be. Mina wasn't one to hide her emotions often.

The two girls chatted about random nonsense until the braid was finished.

* * *

Ochako lied down on her bed, arms behind her head as she stared up at the ceiling.

"Time sure flies…" She muttered to herself. It was hard to believe a month had already passed since she moved in. Clearly, she had been having too much fun to notice.

Life here really was something. Without all the constant worries she had had back at her apartment, Ochako felt… Relaxed. Content. Able to enjoy things more. Friends at school had pointed out her much more peppy attitude as of late, noting she had started to become a "second Mina" of sorts. While some of that was no doubt the result of being around her best friend almost all the time, much of it was just the gravity girl's natural personality.

Despite seeming much more carefree, however, she was just as diligent as ever. Never once did she take her situation for granted, always offering to help Mr. and Mrs. Ashido with cooking, cleaning, and various other chores. Her helpful nature had earned her a bit of a reputation, the two parents often remarking how she was setting a good example for her children to follow.

Of course, the bulk of her time was still spent hanging with Mina. Whether it was games, movies, exercise, homework, shopping, or just sitting around talking, the two girls had become inseparable. It was odd, in some ways; Ochako expected the two of them to eventually get a little tired of being around each other all the time, but they more they hung out the more fun they seemed to have together.

It was honestly starting to concern her a bit. She found herself wanting to just always be with Mina now. To see her bright, smiling face, hear her voice and laughter…

Ochako gulped as familiar feelings crept their way into her head.

Ever since that first workout session, the brunette had been having odd thoughts about her pink friend. She had tried to push them away, but they only seemed to grow overtime. They were becoming harder and harder to ignore.

Mina was… A very good-looking girl, Ochako couldn't deny that. But there was a difference between thinking your friend was pretty and straight up ogling them.

Yes, Ochako had been a bit… Curious the past week or two. Sometimes it happened without her realizing it; one moment she was minding her own business, the next she was staring right at Mina's rear as she bent over for something. Naturally, she would quickly catch herself and freak out a bit, often starting to float a bit. Guilty didn't even begin to describe how she felt about it all.

It wasn't just a physical attraction that worried her, though; no, that desire to be around Mina more and more was clearly something beyond simple friendship. She had tried to deny it for the first couple weeks, but recently Ochako had come to accept she was starting to want to be more than best friends with her housemate.

And that _terrified_ her.

She was able to put up a decent front most of the time, but deep down being around Mina made her super anxious now. She had to resist the urge to do or say something that would give away these newfound feelings, which wasn't always easy.

Just… Mina was so kind, so compassionate. Ochako had always admired her for several reasons, and that admiration had blossomed into genuine affection. But did she feel the same? Ochako knew she was into girls (Mina owned several posters of Mt. Lady, and not just because she admired her heroism), but that didn't mean much.

Sure she would snuggle whenever they slept together. Sure she would constantly compliment Ochako on her looks. Sure she liked to hug a lot. But those were probably all things Mina just did with all her friends. That sort of affectionate friendship was just part of who she was.

Ochako groaned, rolling over a bit. She hated whenever these thoughts flared up. Sure there might have been a chance Mina felt the same way she did, but she couldn't risk confessing. What if that wasn't the case? Would they be able to remain friends? If nothing else, Ochako would certainly have to move out, and she did NOT want to do that.

Hopefully this was just some silly little crush that would fade with time. She was more than happy to have Mina as a friend, after all. Just… It would be nice to take their relationship beyond that.

* * *

Another week passed. Both Ochako and Mina's newly realized feelings for one another were getting harder and harder to keep under wraps. Their conversations became more awkward, full of blushes and stutters (and floating). Workouts became just as much of a mental exercise as a physical one as they avoided staring at each other's bodies too much, not wanting to get caught. Sleepovers stopped happening, neither one feeling they could handle sharing a bed with the other without letting something slip.

Despite this, both girls continued to keep things to themselves. Each was so worried that confessing would backfire that they couldn't see the signs that the other shared their feelings. They could see, though, that their relationship was starting to become a bit strained. Both of them were bottling things up too much, and it was stressing them both out.

It all came to a head Saturday night.

Mina tossed and turned in her bed, unable to sleep. Ochako was stuck in her head, and she refused to let her rest. What was just a small crush had grown considerably in the past week, and it was becoming downright painful to hide.

Ochako was such a sweet girl. But she had this fire in her, this drive that Mina adored. When she put her mind to something, she would do it. It was a quality Mina wish she herself had a little bit more of. Sure, she was passionate, but focus was something she definitely lacked.

Sighing, the pink girl sat up.

"This… Isn't working."

Again, hiding her feelings was not something the pink girl was good at. And the longer this kept up, the more stressed and unhappy she would be. While telling Ochako how she felt _might_ damage their friendship, continuing to keep it all inside would guarantee it. The past week had been rough enough.

Biting her lip, she stood up. Time to channel some of that drive her crush had and just… Tell her.

Marching toward the door, she opened it up. She was so long in her own head that she didn't notice the person standing in the doorway, and blundered right in to her.

"Ah! Oh god, sorry, I…" Her voice trailed off as she realized it was Ochako standing before her.

"…Hey." There was a weird look in the brunette's eyes.

"…Hey." Mina paused. "Couldn't sleep either?"

"No." Ochako shook her head. A small silence followed. "Uh… Can I come in? I, uh… I want to talk about something."

Mina's heartrate began to accelerate. Could she actually be…

"Uh, s-sure!" She felt herself blush as she invited Ochako inside, who timidly entered. Was that a blush on her face too?

Butterflies filled the acid girl's stomach.

The two sat down at the foot of Mina's bed, neither speaking for a moment. Both had something to say, but neither were sure how to say it.

"…So… What's up?" Mina asked, desperate to stop the deafening silence.

"Uh… I have, uh… S-Something…. Something I've been w-wanting to…"

"Tell me?" The two girls looked at each other.

"…Yeah." Ochako gulped.

"Heh… Uh, s-same." Mina laughed nervously, a sheepish smile on her face. They were both beginning to realize what was going on here.

"Oh."

Another silence. Both girls' hearts were beating a mile a minute, their body temperatures rising to dangerous levels. In their hearts they now knew the other felt the same way they did, but neither was sure what to do with this information.

Mina tensed up as she felt Ochako's hand rest on hers. They both looked down, the brunette yelping; it seemed she did that subconsciously.

"O-Oh!" Face now bright red, she pulled her hand back as she looked up at Mina again. "S-Sorry, I-mmph!"

She didn't get to finish that sentence. That little touch gave Mina a jolt of confidence, and she decided to take the plunge. Without a moment of hesitation, she leaned her head forward and met Ochako's lips with hers.

Time seemed to freeze as they kissed. For a moment, the two stared wide-eyed at each other. A few seconds later, though, their eyes both slowly shut as Ochako returned the kiss.

Both girls felt a great weight lift off their chests as they embraced one another. All the feelings they had kept locked away the past few weeks came flooding out into that kiss, which quickly grew more and more passionate. Mina moaned softly as Ochako's tongue explored her mouth; Ochako giggled as Mina tickled her neck with love bites. By the time they separated, they were both completely out of breath, satisfied with their first session together.

"...Can I stay here tonight?" Ochako asked with a dreamy voice.

"…Yeah…" There was no need for any sort of verbal confession at this point as the pair gazed lovingly into each other's eyes.

The couple snuggled up against each other, sharing another kiss as they did. There were plenty of questions to be asked, such as how they would break this to Mina's parents, or where they'd go for their first real date. But for now, that wasn't on their minds. All that mattered was that they had each other.

* * *

Alright so… Yeah, super rushed and sudden ending I know. This was originally supposed to be a longer story with more drawn out romance, but unfortunately I have realized in the past few weeks that I just don't have the drive to write this kind of stuff anymore. I've sort of lost interest in MHA overall; still like it, but not nearly as much as I used to. But I wanted to give you guys at least some closure at least.

Again, sorry for the sudden end, but I figured it's better than me forcing myself to write more of it and having an overall worse product as a result. Hopefully this was at least somewhat enjoyable. Anyway, take care y'all.


End file.
